streamingaddict.net file photo: Former Sacramento King DeMarcus Cousins had his moments of disagreements with the writers, media, and officials. What will he be like with Golden State.
On the Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:
With the Warriors brass looking at the LeBron James move to Los Angeles, did the Warriors feel obligated to make a counter move? Not necessarily. The Warriors two seasons ago are a team that ended up winning 73 games and built on their success and ended up going after Kevin Durant. It’s how every season they would go into the free agency period and find guys who are going to make an immediate impact on this team.
The Warriors are never going to stop they’re going to look into free agency this season and they did it they found that not one NBA team looked at DeMarcus Cousins. The reporting was that Cousins, who didn’t get any calls, basically said the two teams he was interested in were the Warriors and the Celtics. They were the two teams who had the best chances of making the championship finals. Cousins agent literally called up the Warriors and inquired about coming to Golden State and here he is.
DeMarcus’ past with officials and head coaches: Cousins didn’t have much patience for officials and was continuously at the top of the charts for technical fouls after getting called for fouls when he played with the Sacramento Kings. Cousins had a hard time trying to control his emotions on the court. I also attended one of the Warriors-Pelicans games and Cousins had previous run ins with some of his former coaches when at the Kings and instead of the Kings trading Cousins that head coach would end up being fired.
Physically, he has the tools and the skill set to take the center position and he’s got that talent that very few in the NBA centers have and in the history of the league. He can also get out to the three-point line and hit a three. Cousins is a fantastic skills player. He just can’t keep his head in the game long enough to maximize his impact.
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s, perhaps energized by a large and boisterous home crowd, scored five runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to notch their 13th win in their last 16 games by a score of 6-2.
A’s starter Chris Bassitt was not as sharp as he was last week when he received credit for his first win of the year. The Padres had a great opportunity in the third inning as they had the bases loaded with no outs, but failed to score. The A’s made two terrific plays on defense to snuff out runs and keep the game scoreless. The Padres’ veteran starter, Clayton Richard, mesmerized the A’s for the first five innings before this team, so confident that they can overcome any deficit, erupted for five runs and pinned the loss on Richard.
In the third inning, Bassitt walked leadoff hitter Freddy Galvis. Austin Hedges and Travis Jankowski followed with singles to load the bases with no out. Manuel Margot hit a slow roller back to Bassitt. Bassitt made a terrific play as he fell to his knees and was able to throw home to nail Galvis for the first out, The throw from Jonathan Lucroy was not in time to nail Margot to complete the double play. The bases remained loaded. Eric Hosmer then hit a ground ball that was fielded by first baseman Matt Olson, who threw a strike to Lucroy at home for the second out. Bassitt struck out Wil Myers to end the inning.
The Padres, after threatening to score in the first and third innings, plated two runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, right fielder Travis Jankowski singled. Padres’ center fielder Manuel Margot followed with a single to send Jankowski to third. The next hitter, Eric Hosmer, hit a dribbler ball that A’s first baseman Matt Olson fielded. Olson’s throw to Bassitt was dropped, and Jankowski scored on the play.
A’s manager Bob Melvin challenged the call saying that Hosmer interfered with Bassitt’s ability to catch and hold onto the ball. The call was overturned, and Hosmer was called out. Margot went to second and scored on a double off the bat of Will Myers. Richard retired the A’s in order in the bottom of the fifth. The Padres led 2-0 after five innings.
The A’s offense–held in check for five innings by Richard–woke up and scored five runs on four hits. Chad Pinder walked to start the rally. Marcus Semien followed with a single. Richard walked Stephen Piscotty to load the bases with no out, and Richard now had to face the A’s best hitter Jed Lowrie. Lowrie sent the crowd into a frenzy when he doubled to left field to clear the bases. For Lowrie, it was his 25th double of the year and increased his RBI total to 59. Khris Davis singled to drive in Lowrie with the fourth run of the frame. Matt Olson hit into a double play, but the A’s were not finished scoring. Mark Canha extended his 10-game hitting streak to 11 when he blasted his 11th home run of the year into the bleacher seats in left field. Everyone in the park knew the ball was going out of the park as soon as it left the bat. The A’s led 5-0 after six innings.
The A’s tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Chad Pinder blasted the first pitch he saw from reliever Adam Cimber into the seats about 15 rows back of the “Rooted in Oakland” sign in left field. The Padres trailed the A’s 6-2 at the end of seven.
The A’s bullpen did the job again as the Padres were held scoreless the rest of the way. A’s manager Bob Melvin used Emilio Pagan, Ryan Buchter, Lou Trivino, and Blake Treinen to finish the game. Bassitt did not receive credit for the win as he went just 4 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and two runs. Emilio Pagan was the winning pitcher.
Game Notes: Chris Bassitt tied a season-high with six strikeouts. Mark Canha hit safely in his career-high 11th straight game. Emilio Pagan has not allowed a run in 16 of his 17 appearances since being recalled from Triple-A on May 18th.
The A’s are 33-0 when leading after seven innings. They are the only team in the MLB to do so. The A’s grounded into five double plays Tuesday night. The last time they did that and won was on June 2, 1973, in Boston.
The A’s are now 47-39 and are eight games over the .500 mark. The Padres dropped to 37-50. Richard’s record is now 7-8 for the year, and Pagan is 2-0.
Sean Manaea (8-6) will hurl for the A’s on Wednesday. The Padres have not announced their starter.
Time of game was two hours and 39 minutes and 29,975 fans enjoyed the Green and Gold win.
Up Next: The A’s and Padres will conclude their series on a Fourth of July Wednesday at 1:05 pm PDT.
It seems that the San Francisco Giants have found a new House of Horror, and it is Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies.
Antonio Senzatela, who was recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace the struggling Jon Gray, went seven innings, allowing no runs on just three hits, not walking a batter and striking out four and the Rockies defeated the Giants 8-1 at Coors Field.
Going back to September 7, 2016, the Rockies are now 14-2 versus the Giants at Coors Field, a winning percentage of .875.
Charlie Blackmon was the hitting star of the night for the Rockies, as he picked up three hits and his first home run since June 20.
Trevor Story drove in a run with a triple, while Nolan Arenado hit his National League-leading 22nd home run, as the Rockies have won five out of their last six games.
It was not a good night for Chris Stratton, as the right-hander went just 5.2 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits.
Alen Hanson drove in the lone Giants run, as he singled in the top of the eighth inning off of Mike Dunn that scored Austin Jackson, who singled with one out in the inning.
Blackmon got the Rockies going in the bottom of the first inning, as hit a 416-foot home run with one out in the frame.
Following the Blackmon home run, Arenado singled and then after a lineout by Carlos Gonzalez for the second out of the inning, Story singled and then Gerardo Parra singled in Arenado with the Rockies second run of the inning.
It looked like Stratton was going to settle down, as he retired the next six batters in a row, but then Gonzalez singled and then Story tripled to right field.
Arenado broke the game wide open in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he hit a smashed a three-run home run to centerfield to give the Rockies a 6-0 lead.
NOTES: Andrew Suarez looks to end the road trip on a high note, as he takes the mound on Wednesday afternoon, while the Rockies will send Tyler Anderson to the mound, as they look for the sweep.
Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija will rejoin the starting rotation for the Giants this weekend, as the Giants open a 10-game home stand against the St. Louis Cardinals beginning on Thursday night. Cueto is currently on the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to April 29 with a sprained right elbow, will start on Thursday. Samardzija will start on Saturday after he was forced to a game against the Rockies with tightness in his right shoulder on May 30 after just one inning.
Derek Holland was the odd man out of the starting rotation, as he will be sent to the bullpen.
UP NEXT: The Giants and Rockies conclude their series on Wednesday at 5:10 pm PDT.
After news broke that four-time NBA All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins had signed with the world champion Golden State Warriors agreed to the one-year veteran’s minimum of $5.3 million on Monday, it’s like the Warriors delivered a massive gut-punch to the rest of the NBA.
Golden State already have four All-Stars in back-to-back Finals: MVP Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson; so adding a player like Cousins was the rich getting richer.
Sure there are some risks involved when you do bring Cousins into your locker room, such as his reputation of being a malcontent, unhappy, a bully and destructive, mainly from his time in Sacramento when things didn’t go right and the losses started to mount up.
The Kings missed the playoffs every year after selecting Cousins with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft after one season at Kentucky.
Also, the torn Achilles tendon that Cousins is currently rehabbing. Cousins himself said that he is targeting being ready for full basketball activities by training camp. Most people are expecting Cousins to be on the court by end of December or early January.
Before the injury, Cousins was having a monster season for New Orleans, averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 48 games for the Pelicans.
For most teams, that timetable for a star player’s return is almost catastrophic, but not for Golden State. The Warriors, who lost fan-favorite in center JaVale McGee to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, can plug in four-year man Kevon Looney, who agreed to return to Golden State on a one-year minimum deal on Tuesday to fill the void in the middle. Looney’s ability to defend guards along with bigs was key for Golden State in the playoffs.
ESPN was the first to report the news on Looney’s contract. The Warriors are also hoping that third-year center Damian Jones makes the leap and contribute on a nightly basis. The 7’0″, 245-pound Jones showed some flashes last season in limited action.
Once healthy, Cousins will play with the ultimate chip on his shoulder after not receiving an offer from any team during the early stages of free agency as most teams had major concerns regarding Cousins’ injury. Cousins’ former team, the Pelicans, didn’t offer him a contract, and according to those in the know around the Pelicans, didn’t want Cousins to return.
So if you’re Cousins, the opportunity to play on the Warriors with the benefits of competing for a championship and having fun while rehabbing is just too much to pass up right? Also if Cousins plays well for Golden State, especially come playoff time when he would be greatly useful for scoring easy baskets inside, then a team will be willing to pony-up a hefty contract for “Boogie.”
For Golden State, Cousins potentially solves the one position that has been a glaring weakness during a four-year run that has produced three titles (first coming in 2015), and back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
With the strong bond and the accountability that the Warriors’ locker room prides itself on, Cousins should be a model citizen.
League sources told ESPN on Tuesday that free agent forward Kevon Looney has reached an agreement to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors on a one-year, minimum deal.
This move obviously won’t make national headlines, but this is a great move for the Warriors. Looney started in Game 1 before being replaced by JaVale McGee, who is now a Los Angeles Laker, in Game 2. Looney played 39 minutes in those four games, but just three minutes in the last two after Andre Iguodala returned to the court.
Looney stands at 6’9″ and has a wingspan of 7’4″. He a competent small-ball center who can guard at all five positions. Also, his length allows him to defend and switch guards when necessary. In addition, his ability to defend the rim is pretty good.
Looney grew up in Milwaukee, where he played high school basketball at Alexander Hamilton High School. He went on to play college basketball at UCLA from 2014-15. He was originally selected 30th overall by Golden State in the 2015 NBA Draft. He spent the 2016-17 season with Golden State’s G League team in Santa Cruz, Calif.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) runs off the field during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles. Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI
On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:
Dave takes a look how crucial is it for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to get line protection and time to throw the football this season. Talk about the expectations of cornerback Richard Sherman and his coming off an Achilles injury.
Sherman, 30, at cornerback will be crucial for the 49ers in role and can he provide the same kind of performance that he had when he was in Seattle now that he’s playing in Santa Clara and help the 49ers get to the postseason.
bleacherreport.com file photo: Former New Orleans Pelicans DeMarcus Cousins is signed up for one season with Golden State
On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:
The Golden State Warriors knew they couldn’t leave DeMarcus Cousins out all on his lonesome so Cousins made it easy for Golden State and came to them and they both came to a shocking agreement to a $5.3 million for a season. The Warriors made a move after LeBron James made signed with the Lakers over the weekend.
Kevin Durant, who has two years left on his deal with Golden State and the second year being an option year, could leave the Warriors and such a departure would be a huge impact.
Oakland A’s Baseball Company: The A’s open a two-game homestand tonight against the San Diego Padres after coming off a 15-3 loss to Cleveland Sunday after ending a six game win streak. During the streak A’s reliever Blake Treinen who has 21 saves so far this season.
It’ll be the Padres Clayton Richard 7-7 ERA 4.29 and for the A’s starter Chris Bassitt gets the call 1-3 ERA 2.82 for tonight at the Coliseum.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame Museum vice president, the A’s Spanish play by play radio talent, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Sacramento — The inaugural California Classic NBA basketball showcase began play on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The six-game classic is an opportunity for the four teams to prepare for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Breaking news almost overshadowed the games
DeMarcus Cousins is now a Warrior
As the Warriors and Heat were preparing for the first game of the evening’s doubleheader, news broke that former Sacramento Kings star and current free agent DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins had signed a one-year, $5.3-million contract with the Golden State Warriors.
There was a definite buzz that came over the arena as news of the signing spread among the fans. Leave it to “Boogie” to try and steal the Kings thunder.
The good news — it did not take long for the fans to forget about Cousins and start concentrating on basketball.
Kings two “Dukies” made their debut in front of the hometown crowd
Bagley III and Giles III getting ready for the California Classic Photo: @SacramentoKings
The Kings number one draft pick (number two overall) Marvin Bagley III was one of the starting forwards versus the Lakers in the second game on Monday night. He was joined on the front line by center and former Duke player Harry Giles III. Giles was “redshirted” last season while he completed bi-lateral rehabilitation.
The number two lottery selection in the NBA Draft is expected to be an immediate impact player, so the near-sellout crowd was ready to Bagley perform right from the opening tip. The word about Giles and his performance in workouts was so positive that many fans could not wait to see him in actual competition.
The two former Blue Devils did not disappoint.
Bagley III scored his first points at 6:58 in the first quarter when he hit a seven-foot fadeaway shot. Giles III got into the act 24-seconds later when he finished a fastbreak with a layup off an assist from Frank Mason. Giles started the fastbreak opportunity when blocked a 3-point shot attempt by Moritz Wagner.
Not to be outdone, Bagley III came back seconds later with a monster dunk on a fastbreak of his own. About a minute later, Bagley would sink a 26-foot 3-point shot. Yes, the big home crowd was going wild.
Frankly, my focus for the majority of the game was on Bagley III and Giles III. We had not had a chance to see the two players in action and this was a chance to really focus on their skills.
What did we learn about Harry Giles III?
First, Harry Giles III is a very tough, physical player. After being out for an entire season, there was a possibility he could have been a bit cautious getting back into action. The exact opposite happened. Giles looked like a man who was hungry to get into action and mix it up.
Giles III played physical with and without the ball. He left no doubt that he was on the floor for any Laker that had to play against him on Monday night. Giles III committed six personal fouls (players get 10 this time of year) in the game and some of them were very physical.
Giles III scored 13 points shooting 6-for-10 from the floor. He hit 1-of-2 3-point shots. Even though he played a very physical game, Giles III did not go to the free throw line once in 25-minutes of playing time. He grabbed three rebounds, had one steal and one blocked shot.
It was a nice professional debut for Mr. Giles III.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 3, 2018
Marvin Bagley III is going to be a tough guy on the court
The Kings top draft choice made his presence known early in the game. He is not shy. Bagley III is into the game and very demonstrative about it. He is very active on the floor and does not appear to have any fear about mixing it up with opposing players.
At one point in the game, Bagley III made a move to the basket leading with his right shoulder. He did not make the shot but did go to the line to shoot free throws. The defender was left clutching his chest in pain after taking “the bump” to clear him out before Bagley III made his move to the hoop.
Bagley III posted 18 points in just under 26 minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-11 overall and hit 1-of-2 from downtown. Bagley — who has not been know as a great free throw shooter — went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also hauled in six rebounds and blocked three shots.
In his first professional game, Marvin Bagley III performed as advertised, and that is a good thing.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 3, 2018
Oh by the way … the Kings won the game
The Lakers can only watch as the Kings put the ball through the twine Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee
The Kings beat the Lakers 98-93 on Monday night. It is important to remember that the rosters of these teams are made up of first-year players, rookies, G-League players and undrafted free agents. These are young players that the teams want to get experience plus players they may be considering for “two-way” contracts or for their G-League teams.
De’Aaron Fox — who will not play in the Las Vegas Tournament — was the leading scorer for Sacramento. He recorded 23 points, had eight rebounds, dished out six assists and made three steals. Fox shot 9-for-15 from the field but went just 1-for-6 from long-range. He went to the free throw line six times and converted five of those opportunities.
Frank Mason also had a very good game for SAC scoring 16 points. He hit 4-of-7 shooting and sank 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Mason also took advantage of the free throw line dropping in 6-of-7 shots from the line.
The Lakers were led by Moritz Wagner and Josh Hart who each scored 23 points in the contest. Svi Mykhalliuk added 15 points of his own.
This contest also featured two technical fouls charged to the Lakers. A Flagrant 1 Foul charged to Frank Mason and an ejection to one of the Lakers leading scorers — John Hart.
These young players have a great deal on the line, so they are willing to play with reckless abandon.
Golden State vs. Miami
The Warriors Damian Jones grabs one of his six rebounds Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee
The Heat and the Warriors played in the first game of the doubleheader on Monday night. Golden State won the game 79-68. Kendrick Nunn led the Warriors scoring attack with 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Derrick Jones, Jr. was the leading scorer for the Heat and the game. He also recorded a double-double posting 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The schedule for Tuesday night
The Lakers and Heat will faceoff at 6:00 PM. The Warriors and the Kings will meet in the nightcap will tip-off at approximately 8:00 PM.
Only four hits after the first pitch of the ballgame? Not enough.
A critical, throwing error allowing the go-ahead run to score? One too many.
And Mad Bum extending his scoreless inning streak to 22 innings? Needed to be 23.
Once again, the Giants found Coors Field to be a demanding place, and the Rockies a confounding opponent in their series opening, 5-2 loss in Denver. Madison Bumgarner pitched six, scoreless innings only to run into trouble in the seventh. When the first three batters in the inning singled to load the bases, Bum was gone. The Giants 2-0 lead would be the next thing to disappear on a night when the game time temperature topped 90 degrees.
Rookie reliever Reyes Moronta walked the first batter he faced–slugger Nolan Arenado–trimming the Giants lead to 2-1. A run-scoring, double play ball came next, then Brandon Crawford’s throwing error on a routine grounder to short gave Colorado the lead.
Crawford fielded a ground ball off the bat of Ian Desmond, but threw too casually and errantly to Brandon Belt at first.
“I gave it about an 80-percent throw,” said Crawford. “One-hopper, I had time.”
“It’s about winning games while we’re out there,” Bumgarner said. “That was a tough loss. Everything was going our way early on and didn’t go our way late.”
The Giants three-game win streak was snapped with the loss, and their tenuous grip on second place in the NL West was lost as the Dodgers moved ahead the Giants by beating the Pirates, 17-1. More telling was the Giants blowing an another opportunity to win with Bumgarner starting. They fell to 2-4 in their ace’s six starts this season, hardly the mid-season boost they were looking for.
Prior to the seventh inning, Bumgarner hadn’t allowed a run since June 16 at Los Angeles.
Gorkys Hernandez homered on the game’s first pitch off Kyle Freeland, but the Rockies and Freeland grew stinger as the game progressed. Buster Posey delivered an RBI double in the third, and that was it. With Freeland and two relievers dealing, the Giants were limited to a pair of hits the rest of the way.
The Rockies added on in the eighth as Ty Blach allowed two runs on three hits without recording an out.
The Giants swept Arizona over the weekend to get as close to the division leaders as they’ve been in months. But the Rockies envisioned themselves in the equation as well, but they slumped in June, and not played as well at home as they have on the road.
After Monday’s win, the Rockies are just 16-22 at Coors Field, but they’ve won 12 of their last 14 against the Giants in Denver.
Chris Stratton gets the ball for the Giants looking for his ninth win on Tuesday in a matchup with Anthony Senzatela, the pitcher who replaced the struggling Jon Gray in the Colorado rotation.
