Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: No mercy rule here at Allegiant Raiders get scoring out of their system crush Chargers 63-21

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Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) is jubilant after scoring a first half touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Thursday Night Football Dec 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Raiders podcast with Rich:

#1 Rich after the Raiders got shutout last Sunday 3-0 on Thursday Night Football it was a smorgasbord of scoring for the Raiders in the first half where Las Vegas scored three touchdowns in each of the first and second quarters.

#2 Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce never one to give up and never give up on quarterback Aidan O’Connell who was pretty much able to throw all night against a virtual non existent Los Angeles Charger defense.

#3 O’Connell had four touchdowns on his portfolio before the third quarter even ended. O’Connell was well over 200 yards in passing at 241 and was 19-32 and had command of his offense all night long a stark contrast from last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings where he just couldn’t get anything going.

#4 Rich, Raiders wide receiver Devante Adams who was grumbling about not getting enough touches this season got seven receptions by the third quarter, 94 yards and one touchdown. He was besides himself as the Raiders picked up their victory since Nov 12th and snapped their three game losing streak.

#5 The Raiders head to Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs on Mon Dec 25th on Christmas day. The Chiefs have lost their last two games and their last win was against the Raiders at Allegiant on Nov 26th in a 31-17 final. The Chiefs will be an angry bunch after losing two straight games and the Raiders after losing three straight and crushing the Chargers are hoping to save up some of that scoring for Kansas City. How do you see this match up on Christmas night?

Join Rich after every Raiders home and away game for the Raiders podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raiders Demolish Chargers 63-21 on Thursday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium

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Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) scores on a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Chargers in first half action at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Thu Dec 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) put the hurt on the Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) Thursday night. At the half the Raiders led 42-0 and never looked back. The Chargers did manage three touchdowns in the second half but the Las Vegas lead was insurmountable. The final was 63-21. 

Thursday night the Raiders took on the Chargers.Two struggling teams, two teams with identical records going into this game and both teams looking to improve their season record. The Chargers were without quarterback Justin Herbert who went through a surgery on his fractured right index finger. Season-ending injuries more often than not sink a team and the recovery time for Herbert is roughly six weeks. 

In other words this season is finished for the quarterback. The Chargers relied on back-up quarterback Easton Stick to lead the charge. The Raiders continued to stick with Aiden O’Connell.

 Las Vegas had a tough loss to the Vikings last Sunday in a very winnable game that all came down to a turnover; a Hunter Renfrow fumble at the Minnesota 20 yard-line. In the fourth quarter of the Minnesota game. Raider running back Josh Jacobs suffered a knee injury and missed tonight’s game.

Game recap: The first quarter of this game was a shocker. When the quarter came to and end the Raiders had a 21-0 lead. The last play of the opening quarter was a sack of the San Diego quarterback Easton Stick as the Las Vegas defense manhandled him the entire quarter. The first Raider touchdown was a one yard rush from Zamir White. 

Las Vegas kept the heat on and at 4:41 quarterback Aiden O’Connell connected with Tre Tucker for 30 yards and a 14-0 lead. At 3:07 the Raiders struck again with O’Connell finding Jakobi Meyers for 22 yards and their third touchdown of the game leading 21-0. This was an amazing start for Las Vegas 

The Raiders recovered another fumble deep in the Chargers territory in the second quarter at 9:32. The Chargers had given the ball away three times so far in this game. The Raiders turned that turnover into an eleven yard touchdown courtesy of O’Connell to Michael Meyer giving Las Vegas a 28-0 lead.

 O’Connell had thrown for 134 yards and three touchdowns so far in this game. The game had turned into an absolute nightmare for San Diego and would prove to be unending. The first half was a happy, happy night for Raider fans present at Allegiant Stadium for this nationally televised game. 

Las Vegas even turned to some razzle dazzle which eventually resulted in another touchdown. Brandon Bolton who had not carried the ball all season had two rushes, the second resulting in a 26 yard run and the Raiders fifth touchdown extending the Raiders lead to 35-0. 

The Las Vegas defense was having their way with the Charger’s offense and Los Angles was defenseless suffering stops on most of their possessions. It had been all Raiders, all night through two quarters. 

Just for good measure, Tre Tucker celebrated his second touchdown catch of the game with 0.31 seconds left in the half for a 42-0 Raider lead. There was still another half of football to play but the Chargers had a huge mountain to conquer. This was the largest half time lead in Raider team history.

O’Connell had thrown for 198 yards and four touchdowns in the half. The Las Vegas receiving effort was stellar with Devante Adams leading the pack with five catches for 73 yards. Las Vegas would get the ball to start the second half.

Apparently Adams wanted in on the action. At 10:42 in the third quarter he caught a three yard pass from Jakobi Meyers and the Raiders continued their onslaught leading 49-0. They would end the third quarter with a 44 yard fumble recovery for yet another touchdown. 

The Raiders John Jenkins ambled down the field leading the Charger defense on another wild goose chase taking a 56-7 lead. Earlier the Chargers had scored at 10:27 when Easton Stick connected with Joshua Palmer for their first touchdown of the game.

The Raiders opened the fourth quarter with another pick by Jack Jones for a 63-7 lead. This game was all but done at the half and this was just icing on the cake. The Chargers did score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. 

What a night for the Raiders. O’Connell finished with 4 touchdowns and 248 passing yards. They rushed for 124 yards with Zamir White leading the way with 69 yards. Adams had a stellar night receiving for 101 yards and one touchdown. This team that got shutout last Sunday came back with a vengeance and put on an amazing display. 

The Raiders will be back on the field Christmas Day taking on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The Chiefs have had their struggles lately and will be looking to turn that around. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 10:00 AM  

 

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Jets lose Connor for next 6-8 weeks with lower body injury; Blues fire Berube, Bannister named as interim coach; plus more NHL news

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Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor is helped off the ice after injuring his knee against the Anaheim Ducks on Sun Dec 3, 2023 at the Honda Center in Anaheim (photo grab from nhl.com)

On the NHL podcast with Len:

#1 Kyle Connor the forward for the Winnipeg Jets who was placed on the injured reserve list on Wednesday due to a knee injury he sustained in collision with the Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome on Sunday. The Jets won the contest 4-2 and was without Connor on Tuesday night in San Jose Connor’s first game out in a 2-1 loss. Connor is expected out for the next 6-8 weeks.

#2 The St Louis Blues fired head coach Craig Berube on Tuesday and was replaced by interim coach Drew Bannister. Bannister will be behind the bench in his Blues head coaching debut on Thursday night when the Blues host the Ottawa Senators at Enterprise Arena in St Louis. Berube had lost his fourth straight game on Tuesday night to the Detroit Red Wings 6-4. The Blues are sixth in the NHL Central and 26th in goals per game (2.82).

#3 NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman appeared on ESPN and took questions from fans one who asked about the Washington Capitals moving to Alexander Virginia. Bettman said that no NHL teams are moving but the Alexander move which would be four miles from where the Caps play now would present a new technology experience “that could very special.” Also Bettman was asked about expansion and mentioned  “Atlanta, Quebec City, Houston, Salt Lake City,” however Bettman said things are working just fine with the 32 teams that the NHL has right now. It would be a Board of Governors decision down the road.

#4 Forbes came out with 2023 evaluations of the teams and the league could get giant money to get an expansion franchise and the Phoenix Coyotes are looking to get a better place from where they are now in Tucson.

#5 The San Jose Sharks who were predicted to have the worst record in NHL history looks like they’ve broke out of any kind of slump they might have been in. They improved winning three out of six on their last road trip returned home on Tuesday and edged out the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. What are some of the improvements they you can point to that has put the Sharks on track these last seven games.

Join Len for the NHL podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Draymond and the Warriors

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Golden State Warrior guard Draymond Green (23) runs off the floor after spinning and hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic and receiving a flagrant 2 foul at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

Draymond and the Warriors

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

SAN FRANCISCO–Draymond Green has been an outstanding player for the Golden State Warriors and has been part of the Warriors championships for years as they have ruled the NBA. However, his 2023-24 Warriors team is, at best, “mediocre”.

Although it is not Christmas yet, their record of 10 wins and 13 losses is not pretty, one you would not like to wrap in a box and give to a friend. If they want to make another run at the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy, they have to improve very soon, and Draymond Green is making that much more difficult. The Warriors look ‘old’ playing some teams that are younger, quicker, and bigger than they are.

Fans can see this and would tell you the same because there are no mysteries in the NBA. Many years ago, when my sons were teenagers, we took a vacation trip to Yellowstone National Park. One morning, as we woke up and walked out of our cabin, we saw a Buffalo lying beside the cabin wall just outside the door, not moving. We later reported it to a park ranger. I remember he told us, “You have to leave him alone; he is old, and he is dying, and he just cannot keep up with the herd”.

If the Warriors cannot ‘keep up with the herd” of younger and faster teams, maybe they should leave Draymond Green alone; they are finding out that it is much more difficult to carry this player, as good as he is, under these circumstances. They might not be able to win this year, and Draymond’s antics are becoming much more frequent and publicized.

During the Chicago Bulls’ dominant years, I covered them, broadcasting all Warriors games for Spanish radio, home and away, traveling with the team. I remember the antics of Dennis Rodman, who led the NBA in rebounding for seven consecutive seasons between 1991 and 1998.

Rodman is in the Hall of Fame; he was wild on the court, but he produced and even visited North Korea and spoke to that country’s dictator; which was “entertaining”. Rodman was indeed a character, he transcended sports.

On one occasion, Rodman was suspended for 11 games for kicking a cameraman. But Rodman was a ferocious defensive player who brought good news to the Bulls organization for many years. He also traveled to North Korea with a Harlem Globetrotters basketball team member and a crew to shoot an episode for an HBO series.

Green is no Rodman and has been suspended indefinitely for taking a shot at Suns’ Jusuf Nurkic. In the regular world, where most people live, not just in professional sports, many employees are referred to a psychologist for anger management.

I do not know if that is what Mr.Green needs, but I know the Warriors do not need these antics from Green, especially this season when they are not a dominant team. If you have to focus more on the suspensions of a player than his productivity, that is never good news. Especially in this social media era where billions of people carry their news in their telephones.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Green just can’t stay out of trouble; Faces second suspension and is out indefinitely over Nurkic punch

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Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) asks the official “who me” when hit with a flagrant 2 foul call after hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (on floor face down) in the face at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (USA Today photo)

By Barbara Mason and Jerry Feitelberg

The NBA has indefinitely suspended Golden State Warrior guard Draymond Green for his spinning punch to Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic on Tuesday night. Green was trying to get open on an inbound play when he spun around and hit Nurkic. Nurkic was behind Green and landed a punch to his face that landed him on the ground. Green was immediately ejected for a flagrant 2 foul.

This was Green’s third ejection of this season and his second suspension. His first suspension came when he had his hand and arm around the neck in a headlock of the Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gobert on Nov 14th which earned him a five game suspension.

Green said at the time of the first suspension that he had no regrets “I’ll come to a teammate’s defense any time that I’m in a position to come to a teammate’s defense. What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost.”

On this second suspension during the post game presser at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tuesday Green apologized and said unlike previous suspensions and altercations he admitted making a mistake. He explained “I thought he was pulling my hip, and I was swinging a way to sell the call, and [I] made contact with him,” Green said. “As you know, I’m not one to apologize for things I meant to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf (Nurkic) because I didn’t intend to hit him.”

Accident or no accident Green will be suspended indefinitely pending his meeting with the NBA. Green is meeting with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy to discuss the suspension. Nurkic was questioning what is wrong with Green and that he needs some kind of help. “What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help,” Nurkic said. “I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me. At the same time, it ain’t nothing to do with basketball.”

Barbara Mason and Jerry Feitelberg are Golden State Warriors beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Lose to Phoenix Suns in Final Minute 119-116; Golden State loses six of last ten games

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Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) hits the Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (28) in the face leading to Green’s ejection for a flagrant 2 foul. Green spun around and hit Nurkic in the face knocking Nurkic to the floor. (Larry Brown Sports till photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Phoenix Suns (13-10) beat the Golden State Warriors (10-13) for the third time this season 119-116. The starters for the Warriors gave Stephen Curry no help at all. Draymond Green was once again ejected and the team had to carry on without him. As in their last game, they had a chance to tie up this game and failed. The Warrior bench and Curry were the only positives coming out of this game. 

Game recap: While the Warriors did not have a great start in the first quarter of the game, they did have a good finish. After the first 12 minutes of play this game was tied at 25. Bradley Beal was back in the lineup for the Suns and hit a three in his first possession. He only played six minutes in the quarter. The Warriors protected the ball well in the first quarter with only four turnovers so some nice improvement protecting the ball.

The Warriors started rolling in the second quarter hitting shot after shot building a 40-27 lead at 7:53. They let the game turn around for the Suns with under four minutes left in the quarter. Phoenix had battled back going on a 16 to 5 run and trailed by two points 45-43.

 The Warriors had let the Suns back into the game and given up a sizable lead. With under two minutes left in the half the game was tied at 50. This game could not have been closer with Golden State holding a 56-53 lead after two quarters.

Curry had scored 16 points for Golden State and Devon Booker was the high for the Suns with 13 points. This game had started out fairly sloppy for both teams but picked up in the second quarter. Both teams had six turnovers in the first half of play.

With 8:23 left on the clock in the third quarter Green was charged with a flagrant 2 and ejected from the game. He used excessive force on Jusef Nurkic smacking him in the face and the saga continues as Green left the floor. So once again the Warriors would have to play without the defense that Green provides.

With 4:56 left in the third quarter this game was tied at 73. At 3:53 the Suns took the lead for the first time in the third quarter 77-75. As the clock ran out on the quarter the Suns had a 88-87 lead. They won the quarter 35-31 in a tight game. 

It was the Warrior bench that was keeping Golden State in this game. They had accounted for 54 points through three quarters. Curry was the only starter in double digits with 21. Once again he was carrying the team on his back and needed help from his starters. 

With seven minutes left in regulation it was a one-point game, the Suns clinging to a slim lead. With 3:03 left in the game, the Suns had extended their lead to 109-98. In the closing minute of the game the Suns coughed up the ball several times and Golden State pulled to within three points 115-112. 

The Warriors had gone on a 18-6 run and with 9.4 seconds left in the game they had possession and needed a three-pointer to tie up the game. Curry got a look but missed on a very tough shot. 

It was another tough loss for Golden State as Curry came away with 24 points but got absolutely no help from Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson. The loss of Green in the third quarter was just another blow for the Warriors. 

It was the bench that kept the Warriors in this game finishing with 78 points collectively. The Golden State bench was the story of this game. The Warriors got a handle on the turnovers committing 15.

The fourth quarter was the Devon Booker show as the Suns took this game away. Booker finished with 32 points and Bradley Beal had 16 points in his return. The Warriors did come roaring back but it was just too late. Golden State will now wait and see what the ramifications of the Green ejection will bring about.

Post game notes: Tuesday night the Warriors traveled to Phoenix to take on the Suns. After a very disappointing loss to the OKC Thunder last Friday night 138-136, the Warriors had been gearing up for Tuesday’s game. They cleaned up not only the fouls but the turnovers giving up only four against the Suns. After committing 29 in Friday’s game they did better. Kevin Durant was not on the floor for the Suns out with an ankle, his second straight game however he is expected to play on Wednesday night. Chris Paul was back on the bench for Golden State.

Thursday night the Warriors will take on the Los Angeles Clippers at crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM.

 

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Kings Overwhelmed By Clippers 119-99

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The Los Angeles Clippers center Daniel Theis (10) takes a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings center JaVale McGee (00) in first half action at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Los Angeles (13-10) Clippers routed the Sacramento Kings (13-9) for their fifth straight victory 119-99 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Clippers convincingly won the first three quarters of play. The Kings did win the fourth quarter 29-20 but it was far too little far too late. Sacramento at one time trailed by over 30 points. They had offensive and defensive letdowns throughout the game.

The Kings have been playing some terrific basketball this season and as they headed down to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers more great play was expected from the Kings. What transpired was totally unexpected.

The Clippers got this game going early winning the opening quarter 32-24 and they never looked back. They continued to pile it on in the second quarter extending their lead to 70-48 at the half. The Clippers continued to expand their lead throughout the first half and the Kings were helpless to do anything about it. Sacramento was trailing by 22 points but had an entire half to do something about it.

The Kings were clearly anything but engaged. They fell short offensively and defensively. De’Aaron Fox and company were quiet on both sides of the ball. Sacramento lost the third quarter 29-22 and the Kings had dug a huge hole making a come-back near to impossible. The Kings were not at all focused and it just came down to one of those games where nothing worked.

Sacramento did win the fourth quarter by the slim margin of 31-29 which did not make much of a dent in this game.

This was a huge disappointment for the Kings. Nothing went right for them in this game. Kawhi Leonard continued the scoring binge he has been on scoring 31 points and Sacramento could not contain him. 

The Kings starters had a quiet night; they were just off. Harrison Barnes came away with two points and one rebound. Kevin Huerter finished with three points. Their bench came away with 48 points collectively scoring almost half of the points in this game. 

Keegan Murray led Sacramento with 17 points and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kings superstar D’Aaron Fox finished with 14 points, a quiet night for him. The Kings had won five of their last seven games but just could not get it done tonight. 

Sacramento has had a few games this season that were blowout losses but they weathered those storms and came back stronger. There is no reason that they will not come back after this game as well. Returning to Golden 1 Center is going to look awfully good to these guys. There is truly no place like home.   

The Kings will welcome the OKC Thunder Thursday night getting a six-game home stand underway. They will be looking to put this game behind them and move forward. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sharks Win 2-1 Against Jets In The Tank; San Jose wins four of it’s last seven games

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San Jose Sharks left wing Fabian Zetterlund (20) collides with the Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti in the second period at SAP Center in San Jose on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Jose, CA – After three straight games that went to overtime, the latest being a shootout loss in Vegas, the San Jose Sharks face off against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets come in on a four game winning streak which the boys in teal ended 2-1. 

The first period was a hot start for the Sharks as they put up 11 shots in the first five minutes. Filip Zadina went to the floor and hobbled off the ice and wasn’t seen for the rest of the period. The first goal of the game was the first goal of the season for Justin Bailey and it came from the point and was assisted by Mike Hoffman and Jan Rutta, 1-0 Sharks. Brendan Dillion tied it up with a blue line wrist shot, 1-1. 

A very quiet second period for both teams, but that’s thanks to a great performance from both goalies. Mackenzie Blackwood was on full display and blocked 13 shots in the second period. Two penalties, but both were killed off and the period closed with a 1-1 score. 

In the final period the teams played a conservative game, but finally after 15 minutes into the period the stalemate was ended when a power play goal by William Eklund off a slapshot to make it 2-1 Sharks. The goal was assisted by Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair. The Jets emptied the net between 1 or 2 minutes left to try to get a tying goal, but the final buzzer hit and the Sharks won 2-1. 

After this win the Sharks head to Arizona to face the Coyotes on Fri Dec 15th and hopefully can keep the fire burning that they ignited on the road trip before this game and it seems like that fire is still as hot as it can be with this victory over Winnipeg.

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal to host Idaho Sunday at Maples; Stanford looking for their second win in a row

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Stanford Cardinal forward Spencer Jones (14) gets the throw down on the San Diego Toreros at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sun Dec 3, 2023 (photo by Stanford Cardinal)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael R:

#1 Going back to Dec 3rd when the Cardinal played their last game, the Cardinal (4-4, 0-0 Pac-12) attacked their guest the San Diego Toreros (6-3, 0-0 WCC), and chased them all around the Farm in a health 88-64 win to hit the .500 mark.

#2 Senior forward Brandon Angel led the way for Stanford, with 25 points and 8 rebounds. He also got the party started with a three-pointer, demarking the first points of the game. The 3-0 lead was a precursor for the rest of the battle, as the Cardinal were in front from that point on to the final whistle.

#3 Michael, the Cardinal dominated the Toreros in both halves in the first 43-27 and 45-37. Talk about how Stanford really opened up on the offense.

#4 For the Toreros they just couldn’t get anything going on offense with leading scorers Deuce Turner 12 points followed by Drago Lungu and Deven Dahlke both with 11 points. But it just wasn’t enough for San Diego just to stay in the game.

#5 Stanford will next be in action at Maples Sunday, December 17, 2 PM PDT, hosting the Idaho Vandals. Michael the Vandals have won three straight and are 7-4. The Cardinal have lost three of their last four games and are 4-4. The Cardinal have the home floor. How do you see this match considering neither team has seen each other this season.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Troy Ewers: Sharks coming off 3-3 road trip face Oilers tonight at SAP Center

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The Vegas Golden Knights right winger Jonathan Marchessault (81) skates against the San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun (3) at T Mobile Center in Las Vegas on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Troy:

#1 The last game on the road trip for the San Jose Sharks (8-17-3) they took an shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights (19-5-5) 6-5 at the T Mobile Center. The Knights Jonathan Marchessault scored twice in regulation and got the winning shoot out goal on Sunday night.

#2 The Sharks are fully aware what a Marchessault can do and he was the difference in this game where the Sharks hung with the Knights in a close game 6-5.

#3 The Sharks were 3-3 on this past road trip and defeated some of the leagues tougher teams on this trip with wins over the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, and the Detroit Red Wings.

#4 Troy wanted to ask you about some of the Sharks scorers on Sunday Mike Hoffman with two goals, Calen Addison and Mario Ferraro both with a goal a piece. They made it close against the Knights which is a huge improvement after how they struggled earlier this season.

#5 The Sharks are taking on the Winnipeg Jets tonight, the Jets are on a run they’ve won four straight games and the Jets (16-8-2) in their last game defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 in Anaheim. The Jets are no pushovers but the Sharks have played much improved hockey how do you see this match up tonight at SAP Center.

Troy Ewers is a San Jose Sharks beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com