That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Losing out on the Ohtani sweepstakes has Giants and Angels looking for plan B; Are the 49ers unstoppable? plus more news

Shohei Ohtani in simulated photo in Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels will take a different direction now that Ohtani is signed. (photo by the Athletic)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Amaury, How much is the urgency for the San Francisco Giants now that the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani someone the Giants seriously thought. Are the Giants in your view in a desperate moment now that they couldn’t sign players like Carlos Carrera, Aaron Judge now Ohtani.

#2 Has the loss of Ohtani not just for the Giants but as well for the Los Angeles Angels who hired Ron Washington as their manager and are still standing by Mike Trout. Will the directions of these two teams change their direction?

#3 Amaury, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has another great afternoon this time against the Seattle Seahawks went 19-27 for 368 yards threw for two touchdowns and one interception for a 28-16 win. It’s now the 49ers fifth straight win.

#4 The Golden State Warriors lost another close game this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder 138-136. What cost Golden State was the 29 turnovers while the Thunder capitalized with 35 points to just edge out the Warriors. The question is are the Warriors feeling their age as they struggle or are they in a slump and just inconsistent right now.

#5 Amaury, on Dec 5th Schools over Stadiums who are opposed to the $380 million going to build a new ball park on the Las Vegas strip and are appealing a judges ruling to put a referendum on the ballot to stop public funding for the A’s ballpark in Vegas. Point out 21 professors in economic finance all with PhDs from Oklahoma Universities oppose public financing for a new basketball arena for the NBA Oklahoma Thunder. They’re point is education should come first in Oklahoma and not using public funds to build a new arena. This is something that Schools over Stadiums are arguing. Schools over Stadiums are considered the last hope to stop the A’s from having the publicly funded ballpark in Vegas.

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

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Purdy, 49ers look to make it six wins in a row against Cardinals on Sunday

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) gets ready to let one fly against the Seattle Seahawks offense in the first half at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has that high powered offense around him and was able to throw for 368 yards against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday in a 28-16 win.

#2 San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel scored two touchdowns. Talk about his receptions and how Purdy got the ball to Samuel.

#3 The 49ers face Kyle Murray and the Arizona Cardinals this Sun Dec 17 at 1:05pm at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Everything has been right for the 49ers and Murray is back in the Cardinals line up. How do you see this match on Sunday.

Join David for the 49ers podcasts Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: O’Connell just couldn’t get anything going against Vikes

It was that kind of afternoon for the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (4) is sacked by the Minnesota Vikings linebacker Pat Jones III (91) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony R:

#1 Las Vegas Raiders (5-8) quarterback Aidan O’Connell was on the run all day and couldn’t get any offense going 21-32 for 171 yards had a long day trying to find someone to throw too but the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) pass rush was just too much as O’Connell’s take away from this game was seeing too much purple.

#2 The 3-0 shutout of the Raiders was the lowest score since the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Miami Dolphins 3-0 on Nov 26, 2007 that’s 16 years it’s something that just doesn’t happen to often.

#3 The Vikings had 230 total offensive yards and the Raiders had 201 yards. In a game like this was this a matter of O’Connell just couldn’t move the offensive down field or the Vikings defense just stopped the Raiders even inside the red zone.

#4 The only scoring of the game was when Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs was replaced by Nick Mullens in the fourth quarter who threw a 22 yard completion to wide receiver Jordan Addison. With the ball at the Raiders 20 Vikings kicker Greg Joseph booted a 36 yard field goal that would be the eventual game winner.

#5 The Raiders get another chance to recover it’ll be a quick turn around from Sunday’s game as they host the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers have struggled they have lost three of their last four games and lost their last game against the Denver Broncos 24-7. It’s prime time TV Thursday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium do the Raiders have that home field advantage or will this be another game where the Chargers and Raiders will be trying to scratch out a win.

Join Tony R for the Raiders podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings’ Record-Breaking Victory 131-118 Sparks Three-Point Success Buzz

Photo by Mauricio Segura: The Sacramento Kings Trey Lyels slam dunks in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets on Mon Dec 11, 2023

By Mauricio Segura

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings lit the beam Monday night with an exhilarating, record-breaking victory of 131-118 over the Brooklyn Nets.

They not only secured the win but also etched a new chapter in their franchise history by setting a remarkable record for 3-pointers—totaling an impressive 25. This achievement also marked the second instance this season where three of their players managed to dish out seven assists or more.

The Kings are currently riding a wave of success, having emerged victorious in 11 of their last 15 games. DeAaron Fox has been at the forefront of this impressive run, showcasing his skills and leadership, hinting at a potential MVP season for the former Wildcat.

Fresh from a dazzling fourth-quarter performance where he scored 23 points over the Phoenix Suns Friday night, Fox continued his stellar play by making significant contributions in the long-range shooting game. Alongside Trey Lyels, the duo combined for an astounding 10 three-pointers. In total, Sacramento demonstrated their prowess by shooting 25 of 45, boasting an impressive 55.6% success rate from beyond the arc.

The Kings dominated the game from start to finish. Despite Nets forward Mikal Bridges breaking through the Kings’ defense with an impressive stat line of 22 points, five assists, and five rebounds, his efforts were not enough to inspire the rest of Brooklyn’s squad against Sacramento’s formidable defense.

While the Nets managed to narrow the gap to four points (71-67) with Cameron Thomas’ three-pointer midway through the third quarter and within seven points (89-74) with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Sacramento’s relentless barrage of three-pointers allowed them to pull away and secure the final, resounding victory.

Contributions from Domantas Sabonis were instrumental, as he added 15 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists, further solidifying the Kings’ dominance. This victory marked the Kings’ third consecutive win against the Nets, including a season sweep from the previous year. Keegan Murray also played a crucial role with a scoring output of 24 points, while Malik Monk contributed 21 points and nine assists to seal the Kings’ triumphant night.

The Kings fly down to face the Clippers Tuesday night, but will return on Thursday against the Wizards in what will be the beginning of a six-game home stand.

Mauricio Segura has been a Bay Area sportswriter & photographer for the past 20 years, covering baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. He’s contributed articles for Area Chica Magazine, The Baseball Analyst Quarterly, and various newspapers. He currently publishes an online sports and entertainment website called Golden Bay Times and is the graphics and art Director for the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda prepare for face off against Wranglers at Tech CU on Friday

San Jose Barracuda forward Brett Kemp (98) skates against the Henderson Silver Knights at Tech CU in San Jose on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (photo by the San Jose Barracuda)

On the SJ Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 The Barracuda did battle with Silver Knights at home on Saturday after beating them Friday by a final of 6-1.

#2 It only took 33 seconds for the Silver Knights to find goal number two as Sheldon Rempal got his 10th of the season.

#3 Once again in the second Henderson’s powerplay connected as Adam Cracknell found the back of the net getting his second of the night.

#4 San Jose’s power play had a rough night as they went 0/6 while Henderson was able to go 50% as they went 2/4.

#5 San Jose will have some time off before they have to do battle with the Calgary Wranglers at home at 7 p.m. on Fri Dec 15th at Tech CU in San Jose.

Marko does the SJ Barracuda podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors battle the Suns Tuesday night at Footprint Center

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) defends the Oklahoma City Thunder’s guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) at Oklahoma City on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder with 38 points it helped as the Thunder edged the Golden State Warriors 138-136 last Friday.

#2 The Thunder also got scoring help from Jalen Williams with 28 points and Chet Holmgren with 21 points the Thunder defeated the Warriors for the third straight time this season.

#3 This game was in overtime and Warriors guard Stephen Curry scored 10 of his 34 points. Klay Thompson had 22 points and Draymond Green had 12 points.

#4 The Thunder took advantage scoring 35 points off 29 turnovers committed by the Warriors.

#5 Next up for Golden State it’s onto Phoenix against the Suns at Footprint Center on Tuesday night a 7:00pm tip off. The Suns have won six of their last ten games and have lost their last two games.

Join Barbara for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall to Golden Knights 5-4 in SO

Las Vegas Golden Knights right wing Jonathan Marchessault (81) takes a shot against the San Jose Sharks goaltender Kappo Kahkonen (36) during the shootout at T Mobile Center in Las Vegas on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks were defeated, 5-4 in a shootout, by the Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Sunday. Vegas goals came from Jonathan Marchessault (2), Chandler Stephenson and Brayden McNabb. Jiri Patera made 35 saves for the win. Sharks goals came from Mario Ferraro, Mike Hoffman(2) and Calen Addison. Kaapo Kahkonen made 23 saves in the loss.

The Sharks started the game without William Eklund or Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the lineup. Anthony Duclair left the game one shift into the second period with a jaw injury. Additionally, Justin Bailey missed more than 20 minutes of playing time but did return. Nonetheless, the Sharks managed a lot of shots on goal (39) and pulled off a surprising comeback to earn a point.

After the game, Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said, of the lineup changes: “When we lost those guys, obviously it doesn’t help us but I don’t think we had to change anything in terms of the way that we were playing. We were already going, we already felt good, I think if we had [Duclair] stay in the lineup for the full 60 minutes, who knows.”

Sharks Head Coach David Quinn said: “Just so proud of our guys, and then you throw in the fact that we lose two forwards during the course of the game, Duclair and Bailey… really had a short bench. Guy had to play a lot of minutes at the end of a road trip.”

Mario Ferraro opened the scoring 29 seconds into the game with a wrist shot from the top of the circle. It was his first goal of the season. Assists went to Kyle Burroughs and Mikael Granlund.

Marchessault tied the game 5:34 into the second period. His wrist shot went short side off after a quick entry that caught the Sharks outnumbered. An assist went to Ben Hutton.

Chandler Stephenson gave the Knights the lead with a deflection on the power play at 15:44. Assists went to Alex Pietrangelo and Mark Stone.

Brayden McNabb made it 3-1 with a wrist shot at 1:43 of the third period. Assists went to Jack Eichel and Kaedan Korczak.

Mike Hoffman cut the lead to 3-2 at 3:56 with a power play goal. Assists went to Granlund and Kaapo Kahkonen.

Marchessault scored his second of the night to make it 4-2 at 9:23. Assists went to Stephenson and Zach Whitecloud.

Calen Addison scored his first of the season and his first as a Shark at 16:15 of the third, cutting the Knights’ lead to 4-3. Assists went to Justin Bailey and Filip Zadina.

With the Sharks’ net empty, Hoffman scored his second of the night to push the game to overtime. That goal came at 19:21 and assists went to Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov.

After a scoreless overtime period, Jack Eichel and Marchessault both scored in the shootout, giving the Golden Knights the win. Kevin Labanc and Granlund shot for the Sharks but Patera stopped them. Nicolas Roy’s shot was stopped by Kahkonen.

The Sharks will return home to play the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday at 7:30 PM PT.

San Francisco Wins Fifth in a Row at the Expense of the Seattle Seahawks 28-16

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) does his thing after scoring a second half touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy spur the San Francisco 49ers (10-3) on to their fifth straight win beating the Seattle Seahawks (6-7) 28-16. San Francisco continues on their amazing path toward a post-season.

Sunday afternoon the 49ers welcomed the Seahawks to Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers are chasing the Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the National Football Conference. The Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night football and no doubt all 49er eyes will be focused in on that result. An Eagle win could give Philadelphia a 70% chance to take the number one seed. Seattle also had a lot to play for as they chase a wild card spot. This was a huge game for both teams.

Game recap: The Seahawks took a 10-7 lead in the opening quarter. San Francisco took an early 7-0 lead when Jordan Mason rushed for three yards and the first score of the game. Seattle answered when wide receiver DK Metcalf tied up the game via a 31 yard pass from Drew Lock. The Seahawks would take the lead with 56 ticks left on the clock in the first quarter. Seattle kicker Jason Myers booted a 40 yard Field Goal for a 10-7 lead.

San Francisco struck first with a Jordan Mason rushing touchdown for three yards. Seattle would answer with not only a touchdown but a field goal to end the first quarter. DK Metcalf caught a 31 yard pass from Drew Lock at 9:44. The Seahawks would end the quarter with a 40 yard field goal courtesy of Jason Myers for a 10-7 lead going into the second quarter.

San Francisco would take the lead in the second quarter 14-10. Deebo Samuel caught a 54 yard pass from Brock Purdy. The 49er defense was solid in the quarter keeping Seattle out of the end zone and off the scoreboard. San Francisco took the 14-10 lead into the locker room at the half.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the third quarter. San Francisco extended their lead in the early minutes of the quarter. Deebo Samuel found the end zone for the second time in this game via a one yard rush for a 21-10 49er lead.

The Seahawks answered with 24 seconds left in the third quarter. Lock found Colby Parkinson for 25 yards and the touchdown. Seattle attempted a two-point conversion that failed. The Seahawks still trailed 21-16 but they were still very much in this game.

The 49ers nailed the coffin shut on the Seahawks in the opening minutes of the final quarter. George Kittle caught a 44 yard pass from Purdy extending their lead to 28-16. The San Francisco 49ers defense held fast through the remainder of the fourth quarter keeping the Seahawks off the scoreboard. The final was 28-16.

This was a terrific game for quarterback Brock Purdy who threw a career-high of 368 yards and two touchdowns. With so much talent surrounding him, all Purdy has to do is get the ball in their hands and they do the rest. Wonder kid Christian McCaffrey rushed for 145 yards.

The receiving corp was on fire with Deebo Samuel finishing with 149 yards and one touchdown. Samuel also had a rushing touchdown. Brandon Alyuk had 126 receiving yards and George Kittle hit pay dirt in the fourth quarter catching a 44 yard Brock pass for the final score of 28-16.

Next Sunday the 49ers will take on the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals are struggling with a record of 3-10 but always present a threat with quarterback Kyler Murray at the helm. San Francisco will be looking for their sixth win in a row. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 1:05 PM.

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: Lowest scoring NFL game since 2007 as Raiders get shutout 3-0 at Allegiant

Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph boots a 36 yarder to get the Vikings the game winning score in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sun Dec 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

On Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 The Los Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings played to the lowest score 3-0 in 16 years. It was Vikings kicker Greg Joseph’s 36 yard field goal with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter that won it for the Vikings.

#2 It was the first time since Nov 26, 2017 when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Miami Dolphins 3-0 that a 3-0 game was played.

#3 You have to go all the way back to World War II when there was a 0-0 game that was between the New York Giants and Detroit Lions on Nov 7, 1943.

#4 The Vikings had 230 total yards in total offense and the Raiders finished with 201 of total offensive yards. Joshua Dobbs the Vikings quarterback was replace by Nick Mullens who got the Vikings in scoring position for Joseph’s game winning field goal.

#5 The Raiders try again in four short days as they host the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

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

Vikings win an ugly defensive showcase 3-0 over Raiders

Minnesota Viking Ivan Pace Jr. celebrated his game clinching interception with his teammates in his team’s 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday DEC 10, 2023. (Minnesota Vikings)

by Marko Ukalovic

LAS VEGAS — The scoreboard operator didn’t do much to earn his paycheck at Allegiant Stadium.

In a game where both teams defenses dominated for 60 minutes, the Minnesota Vikings beat the Las Vegas Raiders 3-0 in an ugly played game on Sunday afternoon down in the desert.

Las Vegas has lost three games in a row with their slim playoff hopes slipping farther away. Minnesota snapped its two-game losing streak as it battles for one of the final Wild Card berths in the NFC.

Minnesota (6-6) went three and out in its first drive as Raiders 2023 first round draft pick Tyree Wilson recorded his second sack of the season when he sacked Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs on a 3rd and 5.

Las Vegas (5-7) was able to generate a couple of first downs on its first two drives but penalties on each drive stalled them out near midfield as Minnesota’s defense forced back-to-back punts.

It was not a first half to write home about as the scoreless 30 minutes featured seven sacks, two by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, and just 184 combined yards of offense.

“Yeah it’s frustrating,” Raiders wide receiver Jacobi Meyers said regarding the offense being shutout. “We’re not happy. We’re not going to come in here and celebrate because we got shutout. Everybody has got to look at themselves in the mirror, accept what they did wrong and try to correct it.”

All-pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson returned to action since he suffered a hamstring injury back in week 4. His day only last two drives with two catches for 27 yards. Jefferson jumped up in the air to snag his second reception when he hit by Nate Hobbs and suffered a chest injury. He did not finish the game and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Just when it looked like Las Vegas was going to break the deadlock on its first possession of the second half after a 38-yard reception to Hunter Renfroe that put the ball at the Vikings 11-yard line. Renfroe fumbled on a screen pass three plays later that was recovered by Mekhi Blackmon at the 16-yard line.

“It sucks, you know it sucks”, Crosby said regarding the Raiders best defensive performance of the season in a loss. “We do this sh*t all year, training all year. I put everything I had into this game. It’s super frustrating but at the end of the day, you gotta show up and get better. I know that’s what I’m going to do, and these guys will do the same thing.”

Nick Mullens replaced Dobbs at quarterback in the fourth quarter. Dobbs finished 10 of 23 for 63 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

The scoreboard finally changed with 1:57 remaining in the game when Greg Joesph kicked a 36-yard field goal for the game’s only points.

Ivan Pace Jr. sealed the game for the Vikings when he intercepted Aiden O’Connell at the Raiders 34-yard line with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter.

Mullens, who led the game winning drive, finished 9 of 13 for 83 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Alexander Mattison led all rushers with 66 yards on 10 carries. Tight end TJ Hockenson led the Vikings in receiving with five catches for 53 yards.

O’Connell was 21 of 32 for 171 yards with no touchdowns to go along with his interception. Josh Jacobs, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury finished with just 34 yards on 13 carries. Davante Adams, who did not meet with the media after the game, led the Raiders in receiving with seven catches for 53 yards.

GAME NOTES: Las Vegas finished 3-for-14 on third down conversions. Minnesota went 8-for-20.

UP NEXT: Las Vegas hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football 12/14 at 5:15pm at Allegiant Stadium.