tsn photo: San Jose Sharks fans received Los Tiburones jerseys on Hispanic Heritage Night Sat Oct 20th at SAP Center in San Jose vs. the New York Islanders
On That’s Amuary’s podcast:
#1 Last Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, the San Jose Sharks hosted their second straight Hispanic Heritage Night. Is this an indication that the Sharks are going to get serious about the Hispanic community as part of their media demographic?
#2 You remember when the Sharks started at the Cow Palace in 1991-92 they moved to San Jose from Daly City in 1993. The Sharks did have Spanish radio in 1995 with former Oakland A’s broadcaster Erwin Higueros. Could the Sharks possibly consider doing Spanish radio in the future?
#3 Would this be an economic benefit for the Sharks to have the largest demographic Spanish radio, which is number one in the South Bay and would be a marketing essential for the team?
#4 The Boston Red Sox pretty much dominated the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros through the playoffs. How do you like their chances?
#5 The Los Angeles Dodgers took four out of seven from the Milwaukee Brewers to land their second straight World Series, which starts tonight at Fenway Park in Boston for game one.
You know, the Warriors are a pretty good 3-point shooting team.
Seems obvious, but after three regular season games, the Warriors had missed 50 of 74 attempts from distance and ranked 24th in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage. Even worse–and much to the consternation of coach Steve Kerr–all the fouling and turnovers (the Warriors ranked 28th out of 30 in both categories) were very un-Warrior like as well.
Then the not-up and still-coming Phoenix Suns walked into Oracle Arena on Monday, and the back-to-back champs got back to business.
In a 123-103 rout of the Suns, Golden State shot 51 percent from the field, 38 percent from three, and led by as many as 28 points, numbers that also caught Kerr’s discerning eye.
“That looked like our team, just the purpose of each possession, driving and kicking and trying to get guys better shots,” Kerr said.
The Warriors won by double-digits for the first time this season while Curry took flight, scoring 15 of his 29 points in the third quarter. Five other Warriors finished in doyble digits scoring led by Kevin Durant with 22. In all, 13 Golden State players saw action, including the NBA debut of first round pick Jacob Evans.
“We’ve got a lot of weapons out there, so they’ve got to play defense,” Jonas Jerebko said. “And it’s tough to play defense when the ball is moving.”
After playing more than 400 ballgames in the four, previous seasons and on the back-end of the new season’s first back-to-back, the Warriors struck fast and quickly fell into self-preservation mode.
The win was Golden State’s 14th consecutive over the Suns in Oakland, and their 16th overall. Both streaks are the longest in franchise history over one opponent.
Klay Thompson suffered an ankle injury and did not return. After the game, Thompson said he considers the injury to be of little concern, and said he could have returned to finish the game if necessary.
Shaun Livingston was scratched due to a knee sprain.
The Suns were led by Devin Booker with 28 points. TJ Warren contributed 27 in a reserve role, and first overall pick in the 2018 draft, Deandre Ayton had 20.
The Warriors continue their homestand against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday at 7:30 pm PT.
photo from ninersnation.com: San Francisco 49ers quarterback CJ Beathard had to run for his life all day against the Los Angeles Rams at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday
On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with David:
#1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback CJ Beathard fumbled once, was picked off twice and threw for 15-27, 170 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions in a 39-10 loss to the LA Rams.
#2 Beathard got sacked eight times and it seems like the 49ers’ offensive line didn’t give him much protection.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan held his weekly press conference inside Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday afternoon. Obviously, Brennan–and the Spartans–weren’t happy with their seventh straight loss of the season. The Spartans haven’t won a game since November 25, 2017 when they squeaked past the Wyoming Cowboys 20-17 at CEFCU Stadium to close out the 2017 season.
Here’s my Q&A with Brennan:
1. The Spartans got off to a good start, thanks to Bryce Crawford. The Spartans, however, lost a close game in the end. How disappointing was it for the players and coaches on Saturday night? I think everyone was devastated. To go in there and go toe-to-toe with their great defense and just what they do as an offense running the football. The success they’ve had over the years. The respect that we have for their program to go in there and play as well as we did and not finish it and not come out with a win was really disappointing. The challenge for us now is how can we get rid of that game and move on to get ready for our next one. To me, this is the most important game of the year.
2. The Spartans’ run game was clearly broken. What changes can be made to make sure the Spartans capitalize on their opportunities and gain yards? I think it was broken, but I think it made a big step last week against San Diego State even though the numbers weren’t big. I think we ran for more yards than everyone they played so far–maybe outside of Stanford. So I think that’s something we can feel really good about. We were playing the 12th-ranked defense in the country last week and I thought our offensive line and coach (Joe) Bernardi did a good job at the game plan there. I thought Tyler Nevens and Malik Roberson did a nice job running the ball and I felt like that run game was one of the things that kind of helped us sustain drives and change that game a little bit in the second half so obviously we’re going to put a lot of work into it and hopefully we can get an even better performance this weekend.
3. The Spartans committed costly penalties at the worst times. What are your thoughts on the horse-collar flag and roughing-the-passer call that allowed San Diego State to get ahead and avoid a huge upset? The roughing-the-passer call…I thought that was a tough one! We got pressured in there and it was his first college football game. He hasn’t played yet at all. And I’m so proud of Junior Fehoko; he went in there and played his tail off. He did a lot of good stuff in that game. It was his first college game against an outfield like that. That’s a big time accomplishment. He’s not trying to rough the passer; he’s trying to play as hard as he possibly can. So that’s a real teachable moment, a real learning moment for him. The frustrating things are our penalties that stop the drive on offense or extend the drive on defense and those are the things that we need to eliminate. But in terms of penalties overall, that game, they were very low.
Spartan nation, don’t forget that you can call or text (408) 924-7589 for San Jose State football tickets.
If you thought the Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears was big, but just wait and hold on to your hats.
The Oakland Raiders have traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round draft pick.
With the trades of Mack and Cooper, the Raiders will now have three first-round draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Cooper, who was the fourth pick of the Raiders out of Alabama in the 2015 NFL Draft caught 22 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown in six games for the 1-5 Raiders this season.
The wide receiver, who was in the same draft as current Raiders quarterback Derek Carr began his career with back-to-back 1,000 yard plus seasons under former head coach Jack Del Rio and also made two Pro Bowls.
Cooper, who is just 24 years old is set to make around $13.9 million during the 2019 season, under the fifth-year option.
Presently, Cooper is in the NFL’s concussion protocol after being injured in the Raiders 27-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on October 14 at Wembley Stadium in London.
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Jon Gruden and the Raiders are showing another young talent the door out of Oakland.
The Silver and Black have agreed to ship wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, a source told ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Monday. The Raiders will receive a first-round draft pick in exchange, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Raiders now own three first-round picks in 2019. In addition to owning their first-round pick, Oakland also owns Chicago’s first-round pick next season after trading star defensive end Khalil Mack to the Bears a week before the start of the season.
Mack has been on a tear in the Windy City, recording 20 tackles (16 solo and 4 assisted), five sacks, four forced fumbles (1 recovery) and one interception this season. As a team, the Raiders have seven sacks combined, three by linebacker Bruce Irvin.
Cooper is off to a slow start in 2018, catching just 22 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown through the team’s first six games this season. Last season, Cooper had a down year, registering just 48 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games played.
In his first two seasons in the league after being drafted fourth overall by Oakland in 2015, Cooper was a Pro Bowler and amassed 1,000 yards in each season.
Cooper is currently in the NFL’s concussion protocol after being diagnosed with a concussion in Oakland’s 27-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in London on Oct. 14.
The Raiders (1-5) are coming off a bye week and will host the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 28 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Indianapolis (2-5) defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-5 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
photo mercurynews.com Cal Bears quarterback Chase Garber (7) had lots of room and lots of time throwing against the Oregon State University Beavers on Saturday
On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:
#1 How much of relief is it for Cal (4-3) to get back into the conference road win column after 14 straight road tries?
#2 Cal made it no doubt in their 49-7 win in a huge win over Oregon State University (1-6). Was it because Cal came out fired up and prepared or they beat a club who were worse than them?
#3 Changing quarterbacks from Cal Brandon Mcllwain to Chase Garbers. How much did that electrify the offense and why did head coach Justin Wilcox make the change?
#4 The Bears got great held from running back Patrick Laird–a 53-yard run, 193 yards rushing, three touchdowns instrumental in the first half for Cal to take a 21-0 lead.
#5 The Bears host the Washington Huskies on Saturday the Huskies first in the Pac-12 at (6-2). Do the Bears have a chance?
The Golden State Warriors traveled to Colorado for a Sunday edition of NBA Basketball. The odd on favorites to win the title faced off against the Denver Nuggets, both teams boasting 2-0 records entering play. While Steph Curry was on the precipice of history, needing to make just five 3-pointers to pass Paul Pierce for sixth on the all-time list, Denver was trying to get themselves an excellent home win against the defending NBA champs.
While the Warriors were in control early, they faced a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They would have their say before the night was over, however as they stormed back with a 21-8 run, tying the game at 97 with just under 90 seconds left in regulation. Heading down the stretch, however, the nuggets would regain their lead, 99-97. As the final seconds on the clocked ticked away the Warriors’ Damian Jones had an opportunity snatched away from him right under the hoop. After receiving the pass from driving Curry, Jones was denied from behind Juan Hernangomez and time would expire.
There is not much to glean from this early season tilt from the Warriors’ perspective. They had an off game, yes, shooting only 24% from deep and had problems with ball security through the night, coughing it up 18 times. That being said, they don’t have any true fundamental issues, and they will be getting all-star center Boogie Cousins later this season. A close game at Mile High can be expected when a team comes off two close wins over two of the tough western foes, the Jazz and Thunder.
For the Nuggets, it’s a great sign as things are headed in the right direction with a young core. If they can prove they can pull off close wins against the toast of the Western Conference consistently their streak of five consecutive years missing the playoffs may be coming to an end.
The Warriors return to Oracle Arena to host the Phoenix Suns on Monday at 7:30 pm PT on NSBA and FSAZ.
The last place a 0-2 NBA team wants to play when trying to get its first win of the season is Oklahoma City. The Thunder had a 9-1 opening night record at home heading into the game versus the Kings on Sunday night. OKC also had won 74.2-percent of their home games at the Chesapeake Energy Arena going the 2018-19 home opener. That is what you call a “real uphill battle.”
The Kings parlayed a two-point first quarter lead into a 12-point halftime lead. Everyone knew the Thunder would not go quietly–especially with Superstar Russell Westbrook back for the first time this season after a knee scope.
The Kings held a 97-90 lead at the end of three quarters and then had to gut it out for the final 12 minutes.
The Kings (1-2) led by Justin Jackson, Willie Cauley-Stein and De’Aaron Fox outscored OKC 34-30 in the fourth period and won their first game of the season 131-120. Beating the Thunder (0-3) on the road is a real motivator for a young team like Sacramento.
Sacramento turned to a vet for a lift
Iman Shumpert was on fire Photo: @OKCThunder
Kings head coach Dave Joerger inserted NBA veteran Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup on Sunday night. Shumpert gave the team an immediate lift by scoring 16 of their 34 first quarter points. He hit 4-of-6 3-point shots in the opening 12 minutes.
Shumpert finished the game with 26 points shooting 9-for-13 from the floor including four 3-point conversions. He also added four assists, three steals, three rebounds and two blocked shots.
Fans should not expect Shumpert to produce those kinds of numbers on a regular basis but he will be good as a “spark plug” for the team during the season.
Defense It may seem odd to talk about defense when a team gives up 120 points, but it has to be a discussion for this game. One of the key issues was not allowing long scoring runs. In the game in New Orleans, the Pelicans went on very long scoring runs which were back breakers. Sacramento did not let that happen on Sunday which helped them win the game.
The Kings also held the Thunder to 44.2-percent shooting (46-for-104) overall. In their two losses, the Jazz and Pelicans shot over 50-percent for the game. Scoring is up in the NBA dramatically as teams are pushing the pace, but defense will still be important to winning games.
Rookie watch Marvin Bagley III came off the bench and played just over 23 minutes. MBIII scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Five of those rebounds were off the offensive glass setting up second-chance opportunities. He attacked the basket often looking like he had jumped off a mini-trampoline. The young man can “raise the roof.”
Harry Giles III played almost 17 minutes and did not foul out. That is significant because he was assigned to slow down Steven Adams, which is no easy task for a veteran, let alone a rookie. HGIII did put a crimp in Adams style and managed to score eight points to go with six rebounds.
The Fox was on the loose After the game, coach Dave Joerger said he may have played Fox for too many minutes (41:59) in the contest. Not only did the second-year point guard push the pace but he also had to defend against Russell Westbrook for 35 minutes. Fox did look tired during his postgame interview.
Fox recorded a double-double putting up 22 points and dishing out 10 assists in the victory. He hit 7-of 12 shots from the field and converted 7-of-9 opportunities from the charity stripe.
Seven Kings scored in double-figures
Buddy Hield enjoyed his time in his adopted state of Oklahoma, scoring 17 points while shooting 6-for-11. He hit 2-of-4 3-point tries and was 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
Willie Cauley-Stein was particularly effective down the stretch in the fourth quarter when the Thunder threatened to get back into the game. Cauley-Stein finished the game with 13 points, seven rebounds (four on offense) and two assists.
Justin Jackson was also very active in the final period. He finished with 11 points and five rebounds. He hit 4-of-6 shots from the field. His play in the fourth quarter helped to deliver the win.
Nemanja Bjelica scored 12 points spread over the first three quarters. He played just over 30 minutes in the game. Bjelica pulled down five rebounds, had four assists, made three steals and had one blocked shot. He made 5-of-6 shots from the floor including two 3-pointers.
Yogi Ferrell added nine points and four rebounds.
Kings team numbers were impressive as well
Field Goals 50-for-91 54.9-percent
45.5 3-point percentage (10-for-22)
Free throws 21-for-28 (75.0-percent)
46 rebounds (12 offensive)
28 assists versus 20 turnovers that resulted in 26 OKC points
11 steals
7 blocked shots
Up Next The Kings wrap up this three-game road trip on Tuesday night in Denver against a very tough Nuggets team. The Nuggets are currently 3-0 after squeaking out a 100-98 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
It’s that time of the year folks. It’s NCAA basketball and NCAA basketball has all the drama that you could ask for in college basketball. It’s coming. The NBA is talking about paying players who don’t want to go to college and come out of high school and come into the G-League and give them $125,000 to play in the G-League.
That sounds really great, doesn’t it? But wait a minute, what about the WNBA? When will the NBA start paying the WNBA players? In case you didn’t know, WNBA players can’t go into the league until after four years of school. So basically the women players have to play all four years.
