Thunder stifle Warriors offense, pick up emphatic 108-91 home win

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Oklahoma City Thunder played their best game of the season as they defeated the Warriors 109-91 Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunders’ Big Three, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George all scored more than 20 points each, and the Thunder slowed the Warriors running game and took the Dubs out of their game. The Thunder, coached by Billy Donovan, entered the game with a record of 7-9. The Thunder made two big moves in the offseason to improve their offense by signing Paul George and trading for Carmelo Anthony. The team really hadn’t played well until Wednesday night. The Thunder lost several games after having a big lead at the half, but they did not let the game slip Wednesday night.

The Warriors’ Kevin Durant was back in the lineup on Wednesday. Durant could not help the Warriors as they fell behind 33-26 after the first quarter. The Thunder offense was on fire as they shot 54% from the floor and held the Warriors to just 36%.

The Thunder kept the pressure on, and the Warriors fell further behind. Everything was going well for OKC. Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony were making shots, and the Warriors were not. Klay Thompson could not buy a bucket, Draymond Green scored two points in the first half. Zaza Pachulia did not score at all, and the bench did not provide a spark. Steph scored 13 and KD knocked down 14, but the Warriors ended the first half trailing by seventeen 65-48

The Warriors, who usually dominate the third period, could not get anything going. OKC continued to play stellar defense, and the Warriors continued to make turnovers and missed open shots. The Thunder increased the lead to twenty-three and was in total control as the third quarter ended with a 94-71 advantage.

The Warriors won the fourth quarter 20-14, but it was too little, too late. Billy Donovan kept his starters in for most of the fourth quarter and didn’t remove them until there were just 90 seconds left in the game. The Thunder won 108-91 and snapped the Warriors’ seven-game winning streak against them.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors finished the four-game road trip with a record of 2-2 and fell to 13-5 for the season. The Thunder improved to 8-9. Steph led the Warriors with 24 points. KD tallied 21. Klay had 9, Draymond 4, and Zaza 2. Three of the Thunders’ starters recorded a double-double. Westbrook, the NBA’s reigning MVP, scored 34 points, had nine assists, and ten rebounds. Paul George had 20 points and eleven rebounds, Steven Adams fourteen points and twelve boards. Carmelo Anthony poured in twenty.

The Warriors are home for Thanksgiving and resume play Friday night against the Chicago Bulls at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30.

Raiders return home to host Broncos in key AFC West matchup

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
S.R.S Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders return to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for their first true home game in more than a month when they host their bitter AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos, Sunday at 1:25 pm PT. This is the second matchup between the two teams, as the Broncos defeated the Raiders 16-10 in the Mile High City on Oct. 1.

Oakland (4-6) came off their bye week and looked liked a team that was still resting, losing to the reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots 33-8 in Mexico City last Sunday. It was the second straight season that the Raiders hosted a “home” game at Estadio Azteca, resulting in a different outcome.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr threw for 237 yards on 28-of-49 passing with one touchdown and one interception in the loss. Wide receiver Amari Cooper’s 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was Oakland’s lone score of the game. Fellow wide receiver Michael Crabtree led Oakland with six receptions for 51 yards, while running back Marshawn Lynch led the team with 11 carries for 67 rushing yards.

As a whole, the Raiders gained 344 yards of total offense and controlled the ball for 32 minutes of the game, but committed eight penalties for 66 yards to go along with two turnovers.

But the true story was the play of the 26th ranked Oakland defense, which surrendered 421 yards of total offense to the Patriots.

Tom Brady, the future Hall of Famer, dissected Oakland by completing 30-of-37 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns. At one point, Brady completed his first 13 passes of the game. Wide receiver Bradin Cooks had the biggest performance for the Patriots, leading the team with six receptions for 149 yards and a 64-yard touchdown.

The defense, which has not recorded an interception through 10 games this seasons (an NFL record per the Elias Sports Bureau), looked lost and confused against New England Sunday. For the season, the Raiders have allowed 3,670 yards of total offense through Week 11, 27th in the league against the pass.

And with that, Oakland decided to fire defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. on Tuesday. John Pagano, who joined the Raiders in the offseason as assistant head coach/defense, will take over defensive playcalling duties starting with Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Before joining the Raiders, Pagano spent the previous five seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Chargers.

Pagano’s Chargers were tied for the NFL lead last season with 18 interceptions.

Norton joined Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio’s first staff in 2015, serving as the team’s defensive coordinator ever since after four seasons as linebackers coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

Although you never want to see anyone lose their job, the firing of Norton was to be expected. Oakland is tied with the New York Giants for 32nd in the league with just 14 sacks this season.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end Khalil Mack leads Oakland with 5.5 sacks this season.

The Broncos (3-7) are also a team in flux, losers of their last six games.

Similar to Oakland, Denver made changes with their playcalling, firing offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and elevating quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to the position. Musgrave served as Oakland’s offensive coordinator from 2015-16 helping Oakland rank sixth in total offense last season.

Musgrave began his coaching career with Oakland in 1997 serving as the team’s quarterbacks coach under then head coach Joe Bugel.

The Broncos also made a switch at quarterback, benching Brock Osweiler and are going with Paxton Lynch against Oakland Sunday. This will be Lynch’s second start since replacing an injured Trevor Siemian last Dec. 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The sixth-year Osweiler completed 62-of-117 passes for 701 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions in his three starts since taking over for Siemian.

After losing a training camp battle for the starting quarterback position with Siemian, Lynch missed two months with a shoulder injury he suffered in a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 26.

Lynch is the Broncos’ third starting quarterback this season and will take over an offense that are tied for the second-fewest in the NFL with 17 touchdowns total.

With the Chiefs sputtering a bit at 6-4 after starting the season 5-0, the Raiders could salvage their hopes at the division title if they can keep pace of Kansas City. Oakland already has a win over the Chiefs, a 31-30 nail-biter at home on Oct. 19, but sit behind the Chargers (4-6) in the division.

The Chargers defeated the Raiders 17-16 on Oct. 1.

Kansas City host the Buffalo Bills Sunday. At 5-5, the Bills are are on the outside of the AFC playoff race, but the tiebreaker over Oakland, having beaten the Raiders 34-14, on Oct. 29 in Orchard Park.

For Oakland, there is no more room for error. Sunday’s game against the Broncos is a true “must win” game for the Silver and Black.

 

Cal Bears Men’s basketball podcast with Morris Phillips: Coach Jones “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life” Cal gets head handed to them 96-72

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AP File photo: Wyking Jones fields questions during a NCAA college basketball press conference to announce his new appointment as California men’s basketball coach in Berkeley, Calif. Jones faces a daunting task in his first season coaching California guiding an inexperienced roster that lost its star power.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

By Morris Phillips

The Chaminade Silverswords get a healthy 96-72 win past the Cal Bears to conclude the Maui invitational. The Bears who were swept in three games the first on Monday night by the Wichita State Shockers 92-82 and on Tuesday by the VCU Rams 83-69 and then there was Wednesday night 96-72 and it was a game where nothing was going right in the words of Cal head coach Wyking Jones.

The shots were falling for the Silverswords but the Bears just couldn’t find a way to shut down their offense as they were slow on defense and hit only five shots out of 13 from three pointland and the Bears Justice Sueing was the team leader in offense with 23 points, “”In all the years that I’ve been coaching, I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life from the lack of effort from our guys,” Cal first-year coach Wyking Jones told the AP. ”For me, it’s about going back to the drawing board, myself and my staff, and figuring out what changes we need to make because there definitely needs to be some changes.”

Morris Phillips covers Cal basketball and does the Golden Bears recap each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Ana Kieu: Barracuda gear up for San Antonio tonight; Cuda have won three of last five

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 photo credit: sjbarracuda.com

On the SJ Barracuda Podcast with Ana:

1. Ana predicted that the Reign would split the set with the Barracuda. They’re both rivals, to say the least. Just how tough of an opponent are they?

2. The Barracuda played one of those games against the Reign in Ontario. Give us your three takeaways from that road game.

3. Ana also predicted that the Barracuda would win 5-1 over the Rampage last Wednesday. They’re gearing up for their game at 7 pm tonight. Do Ana still think that they’re going to finish the six-game homestand with a win?

4. Also Ana give us the three keys for the Barracuda vs. Gulls game at home on Sunday, November 26.

5. How excited do you think the fans get when the Barracuda offer $2 beers and $1 hot dogs at the Tank?

6. The Barracuda’s time change for their game against the Condors on March 2, 2018?

7. Also it’s promotion night at the Barracuda it’s wallpapers for #WallpaperWednesday?

8. Is rookie forward Alex True making an impression on the Barracuda?

Ana Kieu does the SJ Barracuda podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal Football with Jerry Feitelberg: Stranford edging towards better bowl game; need win over UCLA this Saturday to move forward

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Stanford Cardinal tight end Kaden Smith (82) pulls down a deflected pass during the regular season game between the California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinals on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, CA (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

PALO ALTO–The Stanford Cardinal who got that narrow win over the Cal Bears last Saturday at Stanford Stadium 17-14 not only did it guarantee them they would be in a bowl game it enhanced the opportunity after getting that large win over the Washington Huskies on Fri Nov 10th 30-22. They would win the North Pac 12 title. The game with Notre Dame this Saturday at Stanford Stadium can be one that get the Cardinal in the playoffs.

The Cardinal defense during the game chewed up a lot of the clock and the Bears played a terrific game these are great games when they’re close like that when a field goal was the difference that’s how close it was. Cal’s head coach Justin Wilcox has done a tremendous job getting the Bears rebuilt and getting that team together.

Jerry Feitelberg covers Stanford football for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks open two game road trip in Arizona tonight need to get it in gear after 3 game skid

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A shot from Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) gets behind San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones (31) during the second period of the regular season game between the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks held November 20, 2017 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. Final score: Ducks-3, Sharks -2 in a Shootout. (Photo by Allan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

On the Podcast with Mary Lisa:

With the upcoming two game road trip the San Jose Sharks after losing three straight at home need to get it in gear. These last couple games have been a little bit of a struggle it’s not the most disappointing games in their history but none the less disappointing that they lost three in a row at home on this homestand. Arizona and Vegas very different quantities and qualities.

The Coyotes are struggling in the cellar in the NHL Pacific Division 5-15-3 but the second place Vegas Knights 12-6-1 are just crazy good nobody saw that coming. They got to get there in the Southwest and pick up a couple of wins. With the Knights a brand new franchise and expansion team they just very well might get in the post season and do what no other first year expansion team has ever done and possibly get into the Stanley Cup.

Mary Lisa Walsh does the SJ Sharks podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Pressure cooker: VCU turns up the heat as Cal wilts in Maui 83-69

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AP17325820133841
Virginia Commonwealth guard Jonathan Williams (10) dribbles through the California defense during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

By Morris Phillips

In day two of the Maui Invitational, the Cal Bears were undoubtedly headed down one of two distinctly opposite paths. Either as the pressuring force that put Wichita State on their heels for 25 minutes on Monday, or the group that wilted in the final 15 minutes when the Shockers turned to a trapping defense.

Seven minutes into their consolation bracket matchup with VCU, that path was clear. The Bears had already coughed up seven turnovers, scored just six points, and trailed by 17. The youthful Bears were on the ropes, unable to cope with the same pressure that they hoped to unleash themselves.

“We don’t have the kind of experience or depth where we can start off slow and then make a run late,” coach Wyking Jones said of Cal’s early hole that lead to an 83-69 loss.  “And so, that kind of was our demise today.”

Both teams came to Maui with youthful rosters and a whole lot to prove. But only VCU made a statement, forcing 18 Cal turnovers that lead to 29 fast break points.

“Right off the bat, I thought our guys were really locked into the game plan on the defensive end,” VCU coach Mike Rhoades said Tuesday of his Rams’ fast start that resulted in their 26-point halftime lead. “And our biggest thing is we’re just, we’re still young, we’re still inexperienced. The more we play, the better we’re going to get.”

De’Riante Jenkins paced VCU with 27 points, 11 rebounds and three other Rams contributed nine points each. The Rams shot 50 percent from the field and made 12 three-pointers.

Cal received 21 points from Don Coleman, and 11 points, 10 rebounds from Marcus Lee. The Bears shot 46 percent in the second half to cut VCU’s big lead, but only 43 percent for the game, and they missed 11 of their 15 three-point attempts.

Cal will face Chaminade in Wednesday’s seventh-place game.

Kings Press Row Podcast: Week 6 in the NBA

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press row podcast

hosts Lee Leonard and Charlie O. Mallonee

  • What’s happening in Week 6 in the NBA?

  • The Kings were blown out in Atlanta – how did they respond when they came home to face the Trail Blazers?

  • Sacramento lost to Denver – is that a cause for concern?

  • What’s coming up for the Kings? (hint: the battle of the rookie point guards!)

LonzoLV FOX

Barracuda Center Alex True – Profile

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By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Born into hockey, as he describes, Alex True has had a stick in his hand for as long as he can remember; he was placed on skates for the first time when he was two years old and has never looked back since.

20 years old, True, the son of a former Danish hockey player, was reared in Copenhagen. From a very young age, he would watch his father skate and join him at home to watch different Danish teams on TV. As he got older, his knowledge of the NHL increased. His mother is a native of San Diego, which prompted True to root for the three California NHL teams (Sharks, Kings, and Ducks).

In 2013-14, True joined his first official hockey team, Rungsted Ishockey, in his native Denmark; he appeared in 11 games that season. The following season (2013-14), he came to North America to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). He had 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 35 games.

In 2015-16, True, then 18, nearly tripled his number of points from the previous season with Seattle; he had 32 (14 goals and 18 assists) in 65 regular season games and added an additional 10 (six goals and four assists) in 18 playoff games. That same year, he served as an alternate captain for Team Denmark in the U20 World Junior Championships.

Last season was True’s career-peaking year. He collected 40 points (25 goals and 15 assists) in 66 games and was appointed Seattle’s “Most Dedicated Player.” In 20 playoff games he had 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists) and a plus-11 rating. Leading his team to the WHL Championships (which included a Memorial Cup run) has been his biggest career accomplishment thus far, he noted. He was also named captain of Team Denmark in the U20 World Junior Championships.

True is honored to be a part of the Sharks franchise and receive the opportunity to learn and grow holistically, from improving on the ice to bonding with his Barracuda teammates on the road, who continue to support one another as they work their way up to the NHL. It is no shocker that True, like his nonlocal teammates, appreciates the warm California weather above all else, making it bearable to be outside and explore surrounding cities on off days.

Barracuda Defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald – Profile

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By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Cavan Fitzgerald is commencing his first season of professional hockey with the Barracuda this year, which he could not be more excited for.

“Getting to where I am today [with the Sharks] has been the biggest accomplishment of my hockey career,” he said after a morning practice.

The 21 year-old defenseman grew up in Boston and was influenced by his two older brothers (now 24 and 26), both of whom played hockey growing up. He left home for the first time at age 14 to play hockey in Nova Scotia, Canada, during which he lived with his grandparents. In 2013, he began his career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (having played for the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Cape Breton Tradesmen before that, splitting time between the two teams). He had 31 points (four goals and 27 assists) in 40 games with Halifax in 2014-15 as a rookie.

After the first seven games of the following season (2015-16), Fitzgerald was ranked second on the team in goals (with three) and T-3rd in the QMJHL. His Halifax career would come to a close after three more games for a total of 50. During this time, he played alongside current Sharks forward and 2015 draft pick Timo Meier and, with his rankings, he was tied with Jeremy Roy, who is now one of his fellow defenseman on the Barracuda.

Fitzgerald attended the Sharks’ training camp in 2015 as a tryout before inking a three-year entry deal with the franchise that October.

“The Sharks are an unbelievable team, San Jose is an unbelievable city. It means the world to be a part of this organization. Every step of the way, you can’t take for granted.”

When becoming a pro hockey player, one is not only encouraged to improve on the ice on a day-to-day basis. Independence plays a big role in self growth off the ice, according to Fitzgerald, who is living on his own for the first time and learning the fundamentals of household basics, such as cooking, he noted. Also, he admitted that he seldom misses the snow. San Jose has a lot in store for him as both hockey season and his residence continue.