New York Knicks Jalen Brunson (11) drives a lane past the Cleveland Cavaliers defense leading in scoring in game 1 of the third round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tue May 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson:
#1 Which player will have the biggest impact for the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime loss in Game 1 against the New York Knicks?
#2 What adjustments should the Cavaliers make defensively after allowing 115 points in Game 1?
#3 How important is home-court advantage for the Knicks in this Eastern Conference Finals series?
#4 Which matchup is more crucial to the outcome of the series: the battle in the paint or three-point shooting?
#5 Can Cleveland bounce back in Game 2, or do the Knicks now control the momentum of the series?
Michael Roberson does the NBA Playoffs podcasts weekly at sportsradioservice.com
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson, left, and Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart fight over a ball during the first half in Game 5 of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson:
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers James Harden scored 30 points and Donavon Mitchell had 21 points as the Cavaliers bounced back from nine points down as the Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night. The Cavs now have a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference in the semifinal series.
#2 The Pistons took a 15 point lead in the first half 103-94 with two plus minutes left. Cleveland caught up with Detroit to tie up the game 103-103. Evan Mobley converted free throws with 45.2 seconds left.
#3 For the Cavaliers they went on a 13-0 unanswered run against the Pistons with five minutes left in the fourth quarter to the midway point in the overtime stanza. The Cavs caught the Pistons with 2:39 left in OT on a Mitchell three pointer.
#4 Harden had a free throw and also rebounded his second free throw attempt his other free throw helped the Cavs get the win and put the Cavs in the lead in the series 3-2.
#5 Next game Friday night in Cleveland for game 6 as the Cavs could put it way and get two shots to advance to the third round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Confernce finals.
Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham (left) and Cleveland Cavaliers Donavon Mitchell (right) reach for the basketball in game 4 round 2 of the NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Mon May 11, 2026 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast David Zizmor:
#1 Can Donovan Mitchell carry the Cavaliers to a crucial road win after his historic 39-point second half in Game 4?
#2 How will Cade Cunningham respond after Cleveland’s defensive traps slowed him down in the second half of the previous game?
#3 Which team will better handle the pressure in Game 5 with the Eastern Conference semifinal series tied 2-2?
#4 Will Detroit’s home-court advantage at Little Caesars Arena help the Pistons regain momentum?
#5 Can the Cavaliers finally solve their road struggles and take control of the series heading back to Cleveland?
New York Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns smiles after committing a foul in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York during game 2 in the second round of the NBA Playoffs on Thu May 7, 2026 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast David Zizmor:
#1 Dave,how surprised are you that the New York Knicks who beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 on Wednesday night as the Knicks move up 2-0. Can the Knicks keep this moving and win the series?
#2 The Detroit Pistons get a 107-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and take a 2-0 lead. The Pistons Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points and Cunningham was the most essential part of the Pistons success in game 2.
#3 Three core scorers for the Oklahoma City Thunder Chet Holmgren, AJay Mitchell and Shea Gilgeous. were key in the Thunder’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 as the Thunder take a 2-0 lead.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) passes the ball against the Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan (10) and Maxime Raynaud (42) in the first half at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sat Feb 7, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
1.The Kings suffered their 12th loss in a row-their worst stretch this season losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-126.
2.Now that the trade deadline has past the Kings has stayed pretty much intact with only Keon Ellis and Dennis Shroder being traded before the deadline.
3. Despite the loss this was a well-played game for the Kings with every starter scoring in double digits as well as double digits from two of their bench players.
4.There are some very promising young players for Sacramento right now both starting and on the bench. Despite the rough time they are going through there just might be some light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Monday night the Kings have traveled to Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans in a quick turnaround taking on the struggling Pelicans, another opportunity to break their losing streak.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Nique Clifford #5 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket against Keon Ellis #14 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center on February 07, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO–The Kings took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night as Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis made their returns to Golden 1 Center. The Kings were unable to defeat the Cavs in James Harden’s debut game as they fell 132-126, and their losing streak extended to 12 games.
In the first quarter, the Kings’ young guys propelled the Kings to an early lead over the Cavs. Daeqwon Plowden and Nique Clifford led the scoring from the Kings’ young guys as they took the lead 31-25 at the end of the first frame. Plowden and Clifford combined for 16 first-quarter points, while Russell Westbrook added eight points of his own in the first quarter. The Kings led in second-chance points 12-4 and rebounds 15-10 to start the game.
In the second quarter, the Cavs took advantage of a struggling Kings offense to get themselves back in the game and ultimately take the lead going into halftime. The Cavs outscored the Kings 32-24 to take the 57-55 lead into halftime. Jarrett Allen led the Cavs in the first half against the Kings with 17 points, as Nique Clifford and Russell Westbrook paced the Kings with 14 and 13 points, respectively. The Cavs’ three-point shooting suffered in the first half as they shot 27% from behind the line, while the Kings were solid at 46%.
In the third quarter, the Kings made their move on the Cavs coming out of halftime. The Kings outscored the Cavs 41-36 in the third quarter to take the 96-93 lead into the final quarter of the game in hopes of closing things out. Nique Clifford led the way for the Kings, adding eight points to lead the comeback, and Maxime Raynaud contributed eight points.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings and the young guys put on a show in an attempt to snap the losing streak. Yet, even as Nique Clifford added another seven points in the fourth, the Kings were ultimately outscored 39-30 as they fell to the Cavs 132-126 on Saturday night. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden carried the Cavs to victory late as the duo put up 17 and 15 points, respectively, in the fourth quarter alone. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs in scoring with 35 points in the victory. On the Kings’ side, Nique Clifford led the Kings with 30 points in defeat, which was a new career high for the rookie.
After the game, the Kings rookie spoke with the media, speaking on his new career high during the loss.
“I got some good looks tonight,” Clifford said after the game. “My teammates were finding me in good positions to score the ball and the shots were falling tonight. So it was a good individual performance, but I’m not a stat guy. I really don’t care unless we get the win. So it was cool, but not the result we wanted.”
The losses are clearly getting to the Kings, but they have remained optimistic and upbeat even while enduring a Sacramento-era record-tying 12-game losing streak.
There’s more pain to come for Sacramento. Yet, the initial group of young players that will be around for the rebuild is appearing to take shape. If the Kings can continue to develop guys like Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, and Devin Carter, they might begin to build a foundation that can be paired with a top draft pick.
The Kings will head on the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday at 5 p.m. PST.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jayson Tyson (20) goes to the basket against the Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Domantas Sabonis delivered a big performance off the bench with 24 points and 16 rebounds — how would you evaluate his energy and impact against Cleveland, especially during key stretches in the second half?
#2 Dennis Schröder had a strong scoring night with 21 points — what adjustments did he make to find rhythm against the Cavaliers’ defense, and how important was that for the team’s offensive flow?
#3 DeMar DeRozan contributed 20 points — what did you see from him in terms of leadership and execution down the stretch, particularly in late-game possessions?
#4 After taking a late lead before a Cleveland comeback, what do you think the Kings can learn from how they closed out the fourth quarter, both offensively and defensively?
#5 Given that Sacramento continues a long road trip, how do you assess the team’s resilience and recovery, especially from players like Sabonis and Schröder who logged heavy minutes Friday night?
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Mitchell (31) goes for the basket against the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (right) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (12-33) hung with the Cleveland Cavaliers (25-20) through the first half and half of the third only to give up their lead which grew significantly in the fourth quarter. Sacramento lost the game 123-118 after trailing by two points with 90 seconds left in the game.
They had a great opportunity to win this game but a couple of fouls and missed shots in the final minute of play determined the winner. The Kings bench started the game and finished the first half with a collective 47 points.
Game recap: The Kings had a sluggish start, the Cavaliers going on a 11-0 run but battled back to tie up this game after the first 12 minutes of play. The first quarter came to an end with the two teams knotted at 35.
After some less than stellar games from their starters, the Kings played the majority of the opening quarter with their bench taking the court. They did not disappoint as they’re starters watched much of the game from the sidelines.
The second quarter was another see-saw battle with the two teams continuing to trade leads. The Cavaliers had as much as a 14 point lead in the game but it was Sacramento who led for much of the second quarter. The Kings outscored Cleveland in the quarter 36-33 and took a 71-68 lead into the half.
The Kings bench had a great first half of basketball collectively scoring 47 points. In the first two quarters Domantas Sabonis, Dennis Schroeder and Malik Monk each had double digits, Sabonis with 14, Schroeder with the team high of 17 and Monk with ten points.
The starters saw more action in the second quarter scoring 24 points collectively. Sacramento would need to take this battle into the second half and continue to keep pace with the Cavaliers.
Both teams were shooting well from the line and the Kings had the edge from beyond the arc and inside. Points in the paint were dead even with each team scoring 24 points. Another plus for the Kings was limiting the turnovers with only four in the half.
Three Cleveland starters finished the first half with double digits. Evan Mobley had the high for the first half with 19 points and Donovan Mitchell turning in 18 points.
The third quarter was more of the same with the Kings leading for the first five minutes of play by as much as five points. At 5:33 the Cavaliers took their most significant lead since the first quarter 87-82.
For the rest of the third quarter Cleveland continued to extend their lead taking a 100-89 lead with 1:22 left in the third. Going into the fourth quarter Cleveland had taken a 102-93 lead.
The Kings had trailed 11-0 to start the game and recovered and now they would need another surge with 12 minutes left in the game to do it. Four minutes into the final quarter the Kings made their move, cutting the 11-point Cavalier lead to four points 106-102 with 8:29 left in the game.
With 90 seconds left on the clock the Kings trailed by a couple of points 118-116. With a great chance to pull even it came down to Sacramento fouls and far too many missed shots in the final seconds. Sacramento has now lost four games in a row.
Sabonis finished the game with a double double. He had 24 points the high for the team and 16 rebounds. Schroeder had 21 points. DeRozan finished the game with 20 points but not much more for the King starters. The team had 11 turnovers in this game and hit 13 3-pointers. Schroeder was 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and Monk was 4 of 9.
Game notes: Friday night the Kings took on the Cavaliers in their first game on the road in quite awhile. They come into this game after losing to the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday 122-109 and prior to that game they lost to the Miami Heat 130-117.
The Kings lost four games in a row the first three of them at Golden 1 Arena. Friday night the Kings sought to break their losing streak and get back on track. The Kings needed more production off their bench and looked to Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell, Malik Monk and Dennis Schroeder to get the Kings going in the right direction despite the effort the Kings lost by a five point deficit. Upon his return Domantas Sabonis will continue to play off the bench.
Donovan Mitchell had the high for the game hitting 33 and Evan Mobley had a double double with 29 points and 13 rebounds on Friday.
Sunday the Kings will travel to Detroit for a matchup with the Pistons. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) takes a shot on the Orlando Magic’s guard Cory Joseph (10) in first half action in game 2 of the NBA first round playoffs at TD Garden in Boston on Wed Apr 23, 2025 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast with Michael Roberson:
#1 Michael, the Boston Celtics took game 2 109-100 on Wednesday night. The Celtics once again got help from leading scorers Jaylen Brown 36 points, Kristaps Porzingis 20 points, and Derrick White with 17 points.
#2 The Magic now down 0-2 in this series couldn’t close the gap on the Celtics got scoring from Paolo Banchero with 32 points, Franz Wagner 25 points, and Wendell Carter Jr 16 points. The Magic have their backs to the wall with game 3 going back to Boston on Friday.
#3 The Cleveland Cavaliers Donavon Mitchell helped the Cavaliers go up 2-0 in the series leading with 30 points, Darius Garland 21 points, and Evan Mobley with 20 points. The Cavaliers had an offensive plan and won it 121-112.
#4 The Heat tried as hard as they might just didn’t get enough to try and tie this series up the leading scorers Tyler Herro 33 points, Davion Mitchell 18 points, and Haywood Highsmith with 17 points.
#5 The Heat are talented but do they have enough to make any noise as they head back to Miami for Saturday’s game 3?
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives on the Oklahoma City Thunder guard Carson Wallace right at at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Tue Apr 8, 2025. Doncic was ejected for yelling at a fan but the official thought it was directed at him and Doncic was ejected. (AP News photo)
NBA podcast Michael Roberson Thu Mar 10, 2025:
#1 Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic says he trash talking courtside with a fan when an official thought Doncic’s talking was directed at him and ejected Doncic. Doncic said he has never been fan ejected before and that if a fan is going to talk he’s going to talk back.
#2 Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells took a frightening fall and suffered a broken wrist. Wells who is up to make the NBA All Rookie team selection. Wells was averaging 10.5 points with 3.4 rebounds in 79 games for the 2024-25 campaign.
#3 The Denver Nuggets who fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth Tuesday shocked a lot of front office, players, media and fans. Malone was a championship coach for the Nuggets. The Nuggets are 47-32. They had lost four straight games and may not make the play in and snapped the losing streak with a win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Dave Adelman who was the Nuggets lead assistant has taken over as had coach for the rest of the season.
#4 What happened to the Minnesota Timberwolves had a 24 point lead and blew the game when the Milwaukee Bucks came back and scored 39-8 in the last ten minutes of the game to stun the Timberwolves 110-103. The loss ended a five game winning streak for the Timberwolves.
#5 The Cleveland Cavaliers the hottest team in the NBA at 63-16 and have won seven of their last ten games The Cavaliers are getting a lot of help from their leading scorers Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers handled the Chicago Bulls with a convincing win on Tuesday night 135-113.
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