Welage helps the Spartans, but San Jose State drops 90-86 decision to Wyoming in overtime

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Spartans have lost eight straight games. Their last win (75-63) came on December 21, 2017, in a crosstown matchup against the Santa Clara Broncos. Meanwhile, the Wyoming Cowboys were doing just fine and entered the building with a two-game winning streak. The Cowboys upset Nevada 104-103 on January 24 and Utah State 85-77 on January 20.

Win streak or not, the Spartans were focused on the task at hand. San Jose State isn’t playing for the postseason, as they’ve only won three games so far this season, but they just wanted a win against Wyoming at the Event Center.

The Spartans’ starting lineup consisted of Keith Fisher, Noah Baumann, Jalen James, Ryan Welage and Ashtin Chastain.

The Cowboys got off to a fast start as Justin James hit a jumper and a 3-pointer and Cody Kelly made a layup, but the Spartans got back in the game. Chastain hit a jumper and made a layup and then Welage added a jumper and a three to give SJSU a 9-7 lead at the 17:11 mark of the first half.

Spartans’ Jaycee Hillsman threw down a dunk to make it a one-point game at the 12:01 mark, but the Cowboys quickly responded as Alexander Aka Gorski hit a three just 17 seconds later.

The Cowboys went on a 12-0 run in a span of 2:34 to overwhelm the Spartans, who ended Wyoming’s run after a bit, thanks to pair of free throws from Welage with 8:29 left in the first half.

Things got chippy when Cowboys’ Alan Herndon fell to the floor and appeared to be in a lot of pain. Herndon managed to pick himself up off the floor. The officials handed a foul to Spartans’ Jaycee Hillsman. After that, Austin Mueller entered the game in relief of Herndon.

Both teams exchanged shots late in the first half, but the score was in favor of the Cowboys, who carried a 47-33 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Here are the Spartans’ first half stats: 13-28 FG-FGA (total), 2-6 FG-FGA (3-ptr), 5-6 FT-FTA, 1 offensive rebound, 19 defensive rebounds, 20 total rebounds, 9 PF, 33 TP, 11 A, 13 TO, 1 Stl, 100 Min.

The Spartans got the ball to start the second half. However, the Cowboys struck first on James’ layup just 27 seconds in. And, as you may have expected, the Ryan Welage show came on as the junior forward shot two pairs of free throws and a jumper in a single-handed response to Wyoming.

James, Hillsman and Isaiah Nichols joined the Spartans’ scoring party. Welage then hit a jumper to pull SJSU within six (65-59) with 9:10 left in the second half.

The SJSU cheerleading team continued chanting their “defense” chants, which appeared to help the Spartans get back on track. Aside from the usual Welage show, Keith Fisher got into the limelight with a layup and a jumper to bring SJSU within one (73-72) with 3:17 left.

Welage collected a pass from Fisher and launched a three from the top of the arc to tie the game at 75 apiece with 1:44 left. It was do-or-die for the Spartans, who seemingly maximized their defense in the end.

The Cowboys regained the lead (77-75) on James’ dunk with 5.4 seconds left. Both teams took a timeout. Following Wyoming’s timeout, James made a layup to tie the game at 77 apiece and force overtime.

Hillsman hit a jumper to put the Spartans up 79-77 to start the overtime period. However, the Cowboys immediately responded with a game-tying shot–Louis Adams’ layup–less than a minute later.

The back-and-forth action between the two teams ensued as Welage made a lone free throw, James hit a three, Chastain made a layup, Adams made a pair of free throws and Fisher followed with a pair of free throws.

James made a layup to put the Cowboys back on top (86-84), but the game was far from over. James added a jumper to extend the Cowboys’ lead to 88-84 and then his team took a 30-second timeout with 11.4 seconds left.

Nichols got a foul, which hurt the Spartans as James made a pair of free throws following the malicious incident. Welage hit a jumper with just one second left on the clock, but it was too late. The Spartans dropped a 90-86 decision to the Cowboys in overtime.

Here are the Spartans’ final stats: 30-62 FG-FGA (total), 4-15 FG-FGA (3-ptr), 22-28 FT-FTA, 8 offensive rebounds, 35 defensive rebounds, 43 total rebounds, 24 PF, 86 TP, 20 A, 21 TO, 2 Stls, 225 Min.

Notes
The Spartans’ coaching staff wore sneakers with their suits for today’s Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week game, a nationwide event to raise awareness and help save lives from cancer.

The first 400 students got free pizza at halftime.

Up Next
The Spartans head to Las Vegas to take on UNLV Wednesday night at 8 pm PT.

Stanford Cardinal Podcast with Matt Harrington: Cardinal hope to close out road trip with win tonight against UCLA

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo by gostanford.com: The Stanford Cardinal’s Dorian Pickens (11) takes the dribble in the double overtime contest at Maples Pavilion earlier this season against the UCLA Bruins

By Matt Harrington

The Stanford Cardinal who are on the road for this final game in the Southland at Pauley Pavilion against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday night. The Cardinal are coming off two straight loses including one that started the road trip on Thursday to the USC Trojans. The Cardinal played UCLA earlier this year at the Maples Pavilion, where that contest went into a double overtime Stanford win.

This is definitely going to be a big game for Stanford and a chance for the Cardinal to right the ship and put confidence in the Cardinal since coming into Pac-12 play or they’re going to have a game where UCLA is going to go out for revenge for that double overtime loss that sent the Bruins into a little bit of a tailspin leaving them looking around the room trying to figure out what happened.

The Bruins no doubt are going to be out for revenge tonight and the Cardinal are going to be looking forward to getting back into the win column and trying to do it against a team that’s considered a benchmark of college basketball UCLA.

Matt Harrington does Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

NHL Podcast with Joe Lami: Without Thornton, Sharks feel his pain; Oilers’ McDavid gets gamer in shootout; Knights get rare loss to Isles 2-1; plus NHL news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo file from goldengatesports.com: San Jose Sharks Joe Thornton shown in victory lap after goal score against the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale on January 16th

On the NHL Podcast with Joe Lami:

1 The San Jose Sharks lost their second straight game at home to the New York Rangers 6-5 last night. The third period the Sharks tried to break through scoring two goals, but coming up one goal short to tie it.

2 The Edmonton Oilers got one goal in a win past the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night 4-3. Connor McDavid scored in the third round of the shootout for the win.

3 The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 2-1 game to the visiting New York Islanders. The Islanders’ Jordan Eberle scored for the Isles for the win. The Knights are carrying an amazing 32-12-4 record.

4 The Buffalo Sabers goalie Robin Lehner stopped all three shots on Wednesday for his second shutout of the season as the Sabers blanked the Vancouver Canucks 4-0.

5 The Washington Caps got a 4-2 win past the Florida Panthers. The Caps’ Alex Ovechkin scored his 30th goal and got his 500th assist in the win.

Joe Lami does the NHL Podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Jose State returns home to host Wyoming

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

Spartans host Cowboys Saturday afternoon
The San Jose State Spartans will return home Saturday to host the Wyoming Cowboys for a 2:00 pm PT tipoff inside the Event Center. Tickets for the game are available at the Spartans’ ticket office and will be available for purchase at the ticket window outside the Event Center. The game will be broadcasted live on the Mountain West Network and can be heard on KLIV 1590 AM with Justin Allegri’s play-by play call.

Game #20: By the Numbers
San Jose State (3-16, 0-8 MW) vs. Wyoming (13-7, 4-3 MW)
Saturday, January 27, 2018, 2:00 pm PT
The Event Center (5,000) in San Jose, Calif.
Tickets: Spartan Ticket Office – (408) 924-7589
Television: Mountain West Network
Radio: KLIV 1590 AM

History Between SJSU and Wyoming
Wyoming controls the all-time series 10-2 after beating San Jose State twice last season. The Spartans’ last win in the series came on Jan. 13, 2016, at the Event Center. SJSU’s win was the first on its home floor against a MW opponent since joining the league in the 2013-14 season. Since then, the Cowboys have won three straight, including last year’s regular season finale in Laramie, Wyo., in a 74-62 win.

Wyoming Comes in off of a Big Win
The same night SJSU lost to Boise State, Wyoming knocked off the MW-leading Nevada in double-overtime in a close 104-103 win. Fifth-place Wyoming with a 4-3 league record has defeated Nevada, Boise State and San Diego State in the first half of league play.

Spartans Were Unable to Defeat the Broncos
Earlier this week, SJSU lost to Boise State by 23 points (94-71) on the road. despite dispelling the tale of the supposed tape heading into the MW matchup. The Broncos brought in a stellar defense, which ranked second in the MW for holding teams to 40.1% shooting, but the Spartans hit 53.8% of its shots against them. Boise State’s 3-point field goal percentage defense ranked seventh in Division I basketball at 29.4%. But SJSU sank 8-of-14 (57.1%) shots from downtown that night. SJSU’s 3-point shooting wasn’t the main story because Boise State rained in 18 threes for a single-game record for a SJSU opponent. The Spartans got 22 points from Ryan Welage and a new career-high 16 points from Keith Fisher III, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Boise State’s sizzling shooting.

League’s Most Accurate Three-Point Shooter Is Spartans’ Noah Baumann
SJSU’s Noah Baumann is shooting 62.1% (18-29) from beyond the arc during league play, which ranks first among all MW players. The Desert Vista High School graduate from Phoenix has been lethal from downtown with an overall percentage of 52.5% (31-59).

Some defenses in league play have pressed on Baumann, such as New Mexico and San Diego State, which allowed him to take only six combined shots. However, he’s had a breakthrough in games of three-plus hits from deep against Utah State, Colorado State and Air Force.

Spartans’ Ryan Welage Has His Ninth 20-Point Game
Ryan Welage led the Spartans in scoring for the 14th time with 22 points at Boise State on Wednesday night. It was his ninth 20-point game of the season. He buried a couple of threes early on to get himself going and moved into a tie for third all-time at SJSU with 134 made threes. His next three will give him sole possession of third place, leaping ahead of Rashad Muhammad, and trailing only Adrian Oliver (138) and Tim Pierce (153).

Field Goal Percentage Defense Remains Solid
SJSU’s 43.0 field goal percentage defense is the best in a very long time. The Spartans took the MW’s fifth-ranked 42.4 field goal percentage defense into the week before Boise State knocked down 53.1% of its shots on Wednesday.

If the season ended at the beginning of the week, that 42.4% would be the best for any Spartan squad since the 2000-01 season. Last season, SJSU opponents hit 46% of their shots against the Spartans. The Spartans face Wyoming Saturday, where they’re holding MW opponents to 41% shooting.

SJSU Outshoots Another League Foe
SJSU barely edged Boise State in shooting on Wednesday after hitting 53.8% (28-52) from the floor. It was the fifth time in eight MW games that the Spartans finished with a better shooting percentage than the opponent. The Spartans have made more baskets than their opponents in three league games. Though, they’re still in search of their first league win. In the games where SJSU outshoots its opponent, it’s generally turnovers and 3-point shooting that shift the score in the opponents’ favor. The Spartans’ 17.6 turnovers per game are the most in Division I basketball.

In Case You Missed It
With a pair of free throws with 4:12 remaining in the second half of the game at San Diego State on January 9, 2017, Ryan Welage scored career points #999 and #1,000. He became the 15th player in program history (108 seasons) and the first since Justin Graham in 2011 to reach this particular milestone. He reached 1,000 points in his 77th game as a Spartan, and with 11 games remaining this season, he could continue to climb on SJSU’s all-time scoring list.

  1. 1,767 – Ricky Berry (84 games)
  2. 1,750 – Adrian Oliver (80 games)
  3. 1,504 – Stu Inman (123 games)
  4. 1,432 – Wally Rank (102 games)
  5. 1,272 – Justin Graham (119 games)
  6. 1,236 – Chris McNealy (81 games)
  7. 1,173 – Coby Dietrick (72 games)
  8. 1,139 – Terry Cannon (97 games)
  9. 1,136 – Johnnie Skinner (73 games)
  10. 1,125 – Ken Mickey (82 games)
  11. 1,095 – Sid Williams (111 games)
  12. 1,050 – S.T. Saffold (72 games)
  13. 1,050 – Olivier Saint-Jean (51 games)
  14. 1,049 – Carroll Williams (75 games)
  15. 1,048 – Ryan Welage (80 games) 

Kings love Florida sunshine: SAC beats MIA 89-88 for second consecutive win

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Kings-HEAT

by Charlie O. Mallonee

With 4.3-seconds left to play on Thursday night and the Kings in possession of the ball, Sacramento trailed the Heat 88-87 on the road in Miami. This is the kind of situation that Kings have faced and failed in as they try to find success as a team in the rebuilding process. It was a different ending last night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic took a 20-foot step back jump shot that missed and bounced above the rim. De’Aaron Fox ran in from the left angle and slammed the rebound home to give the Kings an 89-88 lead. The clock stopped with 3.3-seconds remaining to allow Olynyk to enter the game for Miami and Temple to come on the floor the Kings.

Miami’s Josh Richardson missed a 21-foot jump shot with less than a second left on the clock and the Kings won their second consecutive game 89-88. Both of the wins have come in the “Sunshine State” of Florida.

The key to the win for the Kings was their ability to keep the game close. They did allow the Heat to open up a 12-point lead at one time but for the most part, it was a seesaw battle. There were 19 lead changes and the game was tied seven times in what turned out to be an exciting 48-minutes if you are a Kings fan.

Sacramento also broke a destructive pattern that has plagued them this season of falling behind in the third quarter and then having to make a major effort just catch up in the final period. On Thursday, Kings trailed by just one point heading into the fourth quarter.

The Kings dressed 10 players versus the Heat and head coach Dave Joerger used all 10 players in the game. Sacramento held out Vince Carter (who started in Orlando), George Hill and Georgios Papgiannis. Rumors are circulating that Hill may have a toe problem and is not being held out because of a possible trade.

Top Performances

Kings

FoxtoHoop

  • De’Aaron Fox gets the Star of the Game billing for the Kings. Not only did he score the game-winning basket but he added 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in his 29-plus minutes on the floor.
  • Buddy Hield really battled Fox for top billing on Thursday night. Hield receives Co-Star designation for scoring a game-high 24 points. He hit 10-of-15 field goal attempts and went 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Hield scored 13 of his points in the second quarter.
  • Veteran Zach Randolph is also going to receive a best supporting player award for recording a double-double against the Heat. Z-Bo scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 28-minutes of playing time.

Heat

Miami in the Vice jersies

  • Goran Dragic was the Star of the Game for Miami. He was the top scorer for the Heat with 23 points shooting 8-for-14 overall for the game. Dragic hit 3-of-5 from long-range and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
  • Co-Star status goes to guard Wayne Ellington who put up 20 points against the Kings. He converted 7-of-16 field goal attempts and six of those conversions were 3-point baskets.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (15-33)

  • The Kings shot 46.9-percent (38-for-81) from the floor versus the Heat. They only attempted 12 three-point shots but they hit five of them.
  • SAC was out-rebounded 46-38 but managed to outscore Miami on second-chance scoring opportunities 8-7.
  • The Kings dished out 21 assists and turned the ball over 13 times which is below the desired 2-to-1 ratio. They gave up 13 points to the Heat off those 13 TOV’s.
  • Sacramento recorded six blocked shots in the game. Five Kings players posted a block and Cauley-Stein had two blocks.

Miami (27-21)

  • The Heat shot just 37.8-percent (31-for-82) for the game. If a team shoots under 40-percent in the NBA, there is not much of chance that they will come away with a win.
  • Miami decided to attack the Kings by taking as many shots from beyond the 3-point line as possible. They attempted 34 long-range field goals but hit just 12 for a 35.3 shooting percentage.
  • The posted 19 assists and made 17 turnovers for a very unacceptable 1-to-1 ratio. The Kings scored 20 points off those 17 miscues.

Up Next

SAC

Unless the Kings request to have the game on Sunday moved to any city in Florida, they will face the Spurs in San Antonio on Sunday at 4:00 pm PST.  The team is hoping to take advantage of the good “mojo” they have enjoyed in Florida by staying in Miami on Friday and waiting to travel to Texas until Saturday.

MIA

The Heat will host the Hornets on Saturday night in Miami.

 

Brawnier Bruins: UCLA tougher, stingier in 70-57 home win over Cal

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment
UCLA_Lee2
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today

By Morris Phillips

Almost simultaneously on Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion, the Cal Bears were surprising with their growth, while their inexperience was killing them.

In jumping to a 27-14 lead, Cal patiently ran its offense while limiting the Bruins to one shot at the other end. But with the Bears unable to keep UCLA out of the paint, and unable to defend without fouling, things unraveled quickly.

An 18-0 run wiped out Cal’s advantage and gave UCLA the lead at halftime. The Bruins then weathered some anxious moments as the Bears took their final (and only lead of the second half) with 11:58 remaining.

But at that point, the Bruins toughened, while Cal (7-10, 1-7) disintegrated with one missed shot after another.

Our defense really came round today,” UCLA’s Aaron Holiday said. “It just shows how hard we fought and well we can play when we’re playing defense like that.”

Defensive toughness wasn’t really UCLA’s issue after they shot the lights out, scoring 107 points on 58 percent shooting in Berkeley on January 6. But they made it their mandate after a three-game losing streak robbed them of their swagger. Losing starting center Thomas Welsh to a knee sprain midway through the first half didn’t figure to enhance the Bruins’ defensive intensity.

The Bears were without leading scorer Don Coleman, who remained in Berkeley due to a violation of team rules. His suspension will last indefinitely. When starting center Marcus Lee picked up two, first half fouls, the Bruins took advantage of Cal’s fractured defense with shot after shot in the painted area.

During that stretch, the Bears’ offense wasn’t any better, making just one basket over the final 9:20 of the half even with Welsh sitting.

“I thought the ball movement was great until Marcus (Lee) went out of the game,” coach Wyking Jones said. “When he goes out of the game, it makes it more difficult for us.”

With Lee on the floor, Justice Sueing thrived. The freshman forward had 10 of Cal’s first 27 points as they established a double-digit lead. Then with Cal down in the second half, Sueing came up with eight consecutive points to get Cal their last lead. Sueing finished with a game-high 24 points.

UCLA (14-7, 5-4) took control for good starting with Jaylen Hands steal and break away dunk that put the Bruins up 58 -51 with 5:43 remaining. After Juhwan Harris-Dyson was fouled but missed a free throw on Cal’s ensuing possession, Holiday canned a three. The Bears never got closer than eight points after that.

Cal shot just 35 percent from the floor, and missed 7 of their 16 free throw attempts. UCLA benefitted from all the Bears fouling by making 25 of 32 from the stripe.  Cal’s 19 offensive rebounds? Indicative of their effort, but telling of their acumen.

“We just have to make shots,” Jones said.

Cal will attempt to avoid a 1-8 start to conference play at USC on Sunday. The Trojans sit alone in second place at 7-2 after their narrow win over Stanford on Wednesday at the Galen Center.

Defense, Not Offense Issue for Jumbo-Less Sharks in 6-5 Loss to Rangers; Second Straight Loss at Home for SJ

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

photo by sjsharks.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

When news broke that Joe Thornton would miss an undisclosed amount of time with a knee injury, San Jose Sharks fans immediately were concerned about how the team would continue scoring without its future Hall of Famer. Thursday night, the Sharks offense did just fine, putting up five goals against the visiting New York Rangers. Unfortunately, the defense was the letdown, with the Sharks falling 6-5 to the Blueshirts.

Logan Couture scored two goals, Kevin Labanc picked up three assists and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Tomas Hertl and Barclay Goodrow all scored for San Jose. Aaron Dell, starting in place of the injured Martin Jones once again, made 23 saves but allowed 4+ goals in back-to-back game for the first time ever in his career. Rangers Captain Ryan McDonagh scored his first two goals of the season, Brady Skjei netted a short-handed goal and J.T. Miller scored the game-winner with 1:50 left on the clock.

Kevin Hayes staked the Rangers to a 1-0 lead 5:45 into the first period, but a goal from Barclay Goodrow and Logan Couture’s first of the game gave San Jose a 2-1 just over halfway through the first period. Jesper Fast beat Dell with 2:07 left in the period to tie the game.

Couture wrested back the lead in the opening moments of the second period, slipping the puck past backup netminder Ondrej Pavelec 2:36 into the middle period. The Rangers fired back with three unanswered goals in the period, with Ryan McDonagh scoring on a two-on-one with Kevin Hayes then a point shot and Brady Skjei knocking a clearing attempt into the Sharks net off his shinpad with San Jose on the power play for a 5-3 lead after 40 minutes.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic beat a vulnerable Pavelec for his eighth goal of the year, one shy of his career-high, 10:51 into the third, but Miller extended the cushion with his 11th goal of the year late in the frame. Hertl, who missed a number of grade-A opportunities, finally converted with 50 seconds left in regulation.

The Sharks head into the NHL All-Star break looking at the possibility of Jones rejoining the team for their next game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night on the road.

San Jose beat the Pens 2-1 at home on January 20th, with Aaron Dell making 31 saves in the win.

While #19 is out, the Sharks will count on players like Jones and team leaders like Vlasic and Couture to continue to step up if the team wants to hold on to its second place spot in the Pacific Division, two points away from being on the outside of the playoff picture.

Warriors make 21 three-pointers en route to 126-113 win over Timberwolves

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors wanted to get off to a good start at Oracle Arena Thursday night as they played the young and talented Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lost to Portland 123-114 Wednesday, and the Northwest division leaders wanted to get back in the win column against the Warriors. That did not happen as the Warriors led wire-to-wire as they beat Minnesota 126-113. The Warriors improved to 39-10 while the Timberwolves drop to 31-20.

The Warriors got off to a good start as they outscored Minnesota 38-29 in the first quarter. The Warriors’ Andre Iguodala scored 10 points in the period to set the tone for the game. The Warriors kept the pressure on as they finished the first half with a 12-point lead (74-62).

The Warriors’ big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant tallied 17,10, and 15 respectively. The Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16, Jeff Teague had 15, Jamal Crawford with eight, and Andrew Wiggins with eight.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, did not run away from Minnesota Thursday evening. The Warriors outscored them 32-31, and if Minnesota was able to mount a charge in the fourth quarter, they had a chance to win the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors went cold. Curry and Durant were on the bench and the second unit could not do anything. Minnesota closed the gap, and coach Steve Kerr had to put Curry and Durant back into the game with 7:13 left in the game.

Nick Young hit a big three-pointer that gave the Dubs a spark. Durant took a rebound and raced down the court to make a big bucket to give the Warriors the lead 117-104. Minnesota then went on a 7-0 run, and the fans were starting to squirm. However, the Thompson and SCurry made back-to-back three-pointers to ensure the win as the Warriors led 124-111 with just 1:36 left in the game.

The Warriors scored another basket, and they finished the night with a 126-113 win.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant finished the night with a triple-double. Durant scored 28 points, had 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He also blocked three shots.

It was the first time in Durant’s career that had double-digit assists in two consecutive games. Durant recorded 14 in the game against the Knicks and 11 Thursday night in Oakland.

Curry and Thompson finished with 25. Green and Zaza Pachulia each recorded nine points in the game. David West, Shaun Livingston, and Nick Young each had six.

After the game, coach Kerr was pleased that the team won, but he thought they could improve on defense as the Timberwolves attempted 101 shots. They made 46.

The Warriors, on the other hand, knocked 48 in just 89 attempts. They shot 53.9% for the game, but they made 21 three-pointers in 37 attempts good for 56.8%.

Minnesota attempted 20 threes, but knocked just six.

The Warriors outrebounded the Wolves 47-43, and the Warriors recorded 37 assists.

Steve Kerr said this about his team: “Do what you have to do to win the game.”

Kerr also remarked that if playing Durant and Curry 36 or 37 minutes was going to have an adverse effect on the players. He usually plays them about 30 minutes a game but he thought the game was too close to have them sitting on the bench.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Boston Celtics Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Golden State lost a very close game to the Celtics early in the season in Boston so they will try to avenge that defeat.

The Celtics are led by former Cavalier Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum.

Game time is at 5:30 pm PT at Oracle arena.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Vladimir Guerrero–a Pionero for LA Angels and his Country

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @ChicagoSports

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Vladimir Guerrero was one of four players inducted to the 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. He opted to go into Cooperstown with the Los Angeles Angels hat instead of his first MLB team, the Montreal Expos. Guerrero is a pioneer for the Los Angeles Angels as he is the first ever member of the Angels to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in their franchise history that began in 1961.

Not only is Guerrero the first ever to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame as an Angel, but he is also the first ever position player born in the Dominican Republic to go into Cooperstown–the other two are pitchers, Juan Marichal (1983)and Pedro Martinez (2015).

Guerrero was in New York and appeared on the MLB Network.

“I’m forever thankful, for this beautiful moment” Guerrero said through Jose Mota (Fox Sports interpreter and broadcast partner). At the BBWAA news conference Thursday at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan, New York. This was his first public appearance since his election. He was with the Class of 2018: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman.

I look at Vladdy and that reward for all that hard work,” Angels owner Arte Moreno said. “I look at the fans, because they got to see a great player–and we’ve had some really good players come through Anaheim. Obviously, Rod Carew was there, Nolan Ryan was there for a long time. There were a bunch of really good players. But to see someone wear our colors [entering the Hall] is a proud moment for our fans.”

With the Angels in six seasons, Guerrero hit .319 with 173 home runs, 616 runs batted in in 846 games and won the American League MVP in 2004. Previously with the Expos, he played eight years with .323 with 234 home runs as well as 702 runs batted in 1,004 games. His last two seasons were in 2010 with the Rangers, where he played 152 games .300 with 29 home runs and 115 runs batted in, and in 2011 with the Baltimore Orioles, where he played 145 games, hit .290 with 13 home runs and 63 runs batted in.

For the very humble man from the Dominican Republic, this was his greatest moment in his professional baseball career, which he is enjoying with all his family. He will still have to make an acceptance speech on July 29th when his plaque will be unveiled at Cooperstown.

Covering Vladimir Guerrero was a real pleasure. He was a man that played with tremendous joy of the game. He had a truly stellar career where he played with class and great dignity. He was also a consummate five-tools baseball player with one of the best arms from right field in recorded history. Not to mention one of the most popular baseball players ever. I am sure I will see him again this season in Anaheim.

Felicidades Vladimir. Te lo mereces.

George Hill to the Cavaliers … not so fast says reports out of Cleveland

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

geohillwithLeBron

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Reports have been flying all week long that George Hill was on his way to Cleveland with the Cavaliers sending Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye to Sacramento in deal to be done before the February 8th trade deadline. Some reports have stated the Cavs were willing to sweeten the deal with a second-round draft pick.

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com now says those reports may be premature. In a report posted today, Vardon wrote:

The Cavaliers and Kings are further apart on a trade for George Hill than it first appeared, sources told cleveland.com, with significant hurdles toward a potential deal remaining.

One source told cleveland.com that the two sides were speaking “conceptually” about Hill and were never close; another said the Cavs sought to change the parameters of a potential trade.

Conceptually, at least, the Cavs would get Hill from the Kings and send Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert to Sacramento. Derrick Rose could also have been involved and perhaps a future second-round draft pick.

Iman

Frye and Rose would probably be candidates to be bought out of their expiring contracts. Shumpert has a player option worth $11-million for the 2018-19 season. Shumpert has seen limited action this season after having arthroscopic surgery for a left knee effusion which increases the chances he would exercise that option.

Sacramento would like to off-load Hill’s contract

The Kings signed Hill thinking they would need his experience at point guard until De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason III were ready to take over the job of running the offense. Fox and Mason surprised everyone by playing at a high level much faster than anyone anticipated they would be able to achieve in their rookie seasons.

Then came the surprise package named Bogdan Bogdanovic. When Sacramento obtained the rights to Euro player, they knew he was a potential scoring machine. When Bogdanovic arrived in Sacramento, the Kings discovered he was a playmaker who can shoot the ball in a very dynamic manor.

The accelerated development of Hill and Mason plus the surprise talents of Bogdanovic made George Hill a very expensive piece of insurance that they no longer needed. Off-loading his potential $59-million contract has become a priority for Sacramento who can use the cap space.

Fallout of moving Hill

skalactionphoto

Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson could become collateral damage as the Kings try to move Hill and his salary off their books. Sacramento already has the NBA 15 maximum guaranteed contracts committed to players on their roster. That means someone has to be moved if a player has to kept on the roster as result of a trade involving Hill.

Reports are circulating that the Kings have made second-year players Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson available for possible trades in order to make room on the roster for players like Iman Shumpert.

The availability of Richardson is not that surprising because he fell behind due to injury in his rookie year and the Kings now have a glut of guards that he has not been able to break through in order stand out this season. The availability of Labissiere is a different story.

Many observers felt that Labissiere was the steal of the 2016 draft at number 28 in the first-round. He is having a bit of a sophomore slump but he would still seem to have a real potential upside as a developing playing at just 21-years old. Moving Labissiere feels like one of those moves that a team would regret for years to come in the future.

Kings want to move Hill but they need a return

Sacramento definitely wants to unload George Hill and his large contract. If the team does not need his experience, that big salary is an unneeded expense, but they cannot let a talent like Hill go without getting some value in return.

The Kings must get some basketball talent or draft picks that they can put to use in a deal for Hill or the transaction becomes very one-sided. Yes, Sacramento needs the cap space but that cannot be the only goal in a trade for Hill.

Yes, it is a complicated situation. Welcome to making trades in the NBA.