Tag: Cleveland Cavaliers

Kings run and gun Friday night to beat the Cavs 129-110 at the “Q”

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Cavs Kings NBCS
Photo:@NBCSKings

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings won their third game in a row and the second game of this four-game road trip on Friday night as they took down the hapless Cleveland Cavaliers 129-110 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. It was the Cavs’ second loss in three days to a Northern California team as they were beaten by the Warriors at the “Q” on Wednesday night.

Sacramento was coming off a convincing win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night and knew they had a chance to add to their win total on this road trip if they just focused on playing their type of basketball.

On Friday night, the Kings taught the Cavs what Sactown basketball is all about.

SAC ran CLE into the ground

  • The Kings outscored the Cavaliers 72-42 in the paint
  • SAC had a 57.1 FG% (56/98) and was 13-for-29 (44.9%) from 3-point land
  • The Kings recorded 19 second chance points to the Cavs’ 8
  • Sacramento had 35 rebounds — 10 were offensive rebounds
  • Cleveland also booked 35 rebounds, but only 7 were on offense
  • The Kings outscored the Cavs on the Fast Break 12-5
  • SAC had 30 assists and just nine turnovers (12 CLE points)
  • CLE dished out 20 assists, but turned the ball over 18 times (31 SAC points)

Outstanding individual efforts by Kings players

cavs kings nbcs 2
Photo: @NBCSKings
  • De’Aaron Fox was the game’s high scorer with 30 points and he made it a double-double by dishing out 12 assists (some of which were Top 10 worthy)
  • Buddy Hield recorded 25 points, sinking 9-of-17 shots (5-of-8 3-pointers)
  • Marvin Bagley III returned to action after missing two games and put up 17 points in just over 25 minutes on the floor
  • Bogdanovic 15; Bjelica 13; Cauley-Stein 10; Jackson 7; Koufos 6; Shumpert 6

Cleveland leaders

  • Jordan Clarkson was the leading scorer for the Cavs with 26 points
  • Guard Colin Sexton put up 23
  • The just added Alec Burks put 22 points and 7 rebounds in the book

It has to be said

The Kings record now stands at 13-11 for the season which gives them sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference. Yes, that means if the season ended today the Kings would be in the playoffs. That cannot be ignored.

Dwelling in the cellar

The Cavs record is now 5-20 after the loss to the Kings. They are now tied for 14th or last-place in the NBA Eastern Conference with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Cavaliers made big news before the game

Cavs Delly
Photo:@Cavaliers

Cleveland took part on Friday in a three-team, five-player trade that involved the Cavs, Bucks, and Wizards. Some well-traveled veterans went to new teams while others went home to places where they have played before.

The Cavaliers sent veteran guard (and former King) George Hill to the Milwaukee Bucks along with forward Jason Smith.

The Cavs received Matthew Dellavedova — who was a very popular player in Cleveland before leaving in free agency — and center John Henson from Milwaukee.

The Wizards get Sam Dekker from Cleveland via Milwaukee along with draft picks.

The Cavs end up with the 2021 first and second-round draft picks from the Bucks. They also get a 2022 second-round pick from the Wizards.

Milwaukee winds up with a 2021 second-round selection from Washington.

Finally, the Wizards get a 2021 draft pick from the Cavs.

All of these draft picks have conditions tied to them. If you want the complete details, go to NBA.com transactions.

Up Next

The Kings will be back in action on Saturday night in Indianapolis when they will take on the Indiana Pacers. The Kings beat the Pacers 111-110 last Saturday night in Sacramento and Indiana will have revenge on their minds.

The Cavs will host the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Warriors crush the Cavs 129-105 in Cleveland on Wednesday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
GSW final
Graphic: @Warriors

By Charlie O. Mallonee

In every sport, there are certain teams that every other team wants to play because they know the chances of coming away with a “W” is so great that they can taste victory before the game begins. When “King James” ruled the city by the lake, that was not the case. Going to play in the “Q” was something to be feared.

Now that LeBron has taken his “talents” to SoCal and the Lakers, playing in the “Q” has become a place for teams to get healthy. The Cavs best player Kevin Love is unavailable due to left foot surgery, and no one would be surprised if Love does not demand to be traded to a competitive team.

Things are so bad in Cleveland that the Cavaliers were the first team in the NBA to fire their head coach. Tyronn Lue who coached the Cavs to an NBA Championship in 2016 was fired after Cleveland started the season 0-6 with LeBron James in “Lakerland” and Kevin Love ailing.

The Warriors entered the game on Wednesday night with a record of 16-9 to do battle with a Cleveland squad that had recorded a record of 5-18.

Tough Road Trip
This was game four of a five-game road trip for the Warriors. They entered the contest 1-2 on the trip. The W’s had lost games in Toronto and Detroit but had bounced back into the win column in the ATL on Monday night. A victory in Cleveland was really mandatory if this was to be a successful road trip for Golden State.

GSW Thompson to hoop
Thompson to the basket Photo: @Warriors

First Half Battle
The Cavs served notice in the first half that they were not going to just roll over and die because they were facing the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. GSW held a six-point at the end of the first quarter, but Cleveland turned it up a notch in the second period.

Cleveland shot 68.2-percent from the floor (15/22) in the second quarter and hit seven 3-point baskets. The Cavs outscored the Warriors 39-27 for the period behind the scoring of Cedi Osman (8 pts), Jordan Clarkson (8 pts) and Larry Nance Jr. (7 pts). The Cavs also outscored the Warriors on 2nd Chance Points 8-0 in the quarter.

At the half, Cleveland held a 64-58 lead over the Golden State Warriors.

Time to go to school
The Warriors came out of the locker room after halftime fired up and ready to play. Kevin Durant led the charge for the “W’s” as he scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists in the period. Durant hit 6-of-9 shots – three of which were 3-point baskets.

GSW outscored the Cavs 12-2 on the Fast Break in the quarter.

At the end of three quarters, Golden State was leading Cleveland 95-86.

Turn Out the Lights
The Cavs’ final demise came in the fourth period when Stephen Curry came alive and scored 12-points shooting 2-for-4 from the floor (both 3-point baskets) and converted 6-for-6 in opportunities from the free throw line.

Klay Thompson and Quinn Cook also added eight points apiece in the final period as the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 34-19 in last 12 minutes of the contest.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Golden State Warriors (17-9) had defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-19) 129-105. For the Warriors, it was their second consecutive win.

Top Performers

GSW Prime Logo

Golden State

  • Leading scorer: Steph Curry 42 points (also game high) to go with nine rebounds
  • Double-double: Kevin Durant 25 points and 10 rebounds (9 assists)
  • FG% 52.9 (45/85)  3FG% 52.9 (18/34)  29 Assists 9 Turnovers (17 CLE pts)

Cleveland

  • Leading scorer: Colin Sexton 21 points (7/14 shooting)
  • Double-double: Tristan Thompson 14 points and 19 rebounds
  • Wow: George Hill 25:13 on the floor 0 points and 3 assists

Steve Kerr on Curry
“It’s pretty rare, but Steph is rare in general in everything he does. We’ve seen it before where Steph was out with an injury and comes back and starts lighting it up right away,” said Kerr. “The guy keeps himself in amazing shape – which allows him to come back pretty quickly if there is an injury.”

Up Next
The Warriors wrap up this five-game road trip on Friday night in Milwaukee versus the very tough Bucks in a nationally televised game. The game tips off at 4:00 PM PST.

The Cavs will also be in action on Friday night when they will host the upstart Sacramento Kings at the “Q”.

Durant carries Warriors to 110-102 win over Cavs; Golden State one game away from third NBA title in four years

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Photo credit: @NBAJumpshot

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, June 6, 2018

LeBron James’ triple-double wasn’t enough, as another lethal third-quarter rally sparked the Golden State Warriors to a 110-102 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loan Arena on Wednesday night.

The Warriors are up three-games-to-none in the best-of-seven series. In NBA playoff history, teams down 3-0 are 0-for-131.

Kevin Durant bagged a game-high 43 points along with with seven assists and 13 rebounds. He also hit 15-of-23 from the field, including 6-of-9 3-pointers, while making all seven of his free throws.

Draymond Green, JaVale McGee and Klay Thompson each scored 10 points. Stephen Curry was held to 11. Green had nine assists and Curry added six assists for the Warriors, who can wrap up their third championship in four years on Friday.

As a team, the Warriors shot 52 percent from the field (42-of-81).

James finished with 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but was held in check down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Kevin Love scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Rodney Hood contributed 15 points off the Cavs’ bench.

Durant’s 33-foot 3-pointer with 49.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter provided the dagger after Golden State surged ahead to stay minutes earlier on Curry’s 3 with 2:20 remaining.

After Curry’s 3-ball put the Warriors up 101-97, James hit a 3-pointer to pull the Cavaliers to within 101-100. But after Durant’s deep 3-ball, James made a layup, but Golden State responded with Green’s spread-offense layup with 25 seconds left, putting the Warriors up 108-102.

The Cavaliers led by as many as 13 in the second quarter, leading 58-52 at halftime. Golden State opened the third quarter with a 15-3 run.

Cleveland regained the lead at 87-86 with 9:47 left in the fourth quarter, and the lead swung back-and-forth for the next seven minutes.

Green passed Wilt Chamberlain for the Warriors’ total playoff rebound record. Green has 923 boards in 100 playoff games, while Chamberlain pulled down 922 playoff rebounds for the Warriors in 36 contests.

James, meanwhile, broke a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and moved into fourth place for most NBA playoff games played (238).

Up Next: It’s do-or-die for the Cavs in Friday’s Game 4 against the Warriors. Tipoff is set for 6:00 pm PDT on ABC.

Curry makes nine 3-point shots to lead Warriors to a 122-103 rout of Cavs

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors started the game with an intensity that was lacking in Game one of the Finals and the maintained it as the beat the Cavaliers 122-103 to take lead the Cavs 2-0 in the best-seven-series.

The Warriors came out smoking and raced to an early 15-6 lead. The Warriors never relinquished the lead. The Cavaliers made several runs to get back in the game but the Warriors defense would not let them. Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson were factors in stopping the Cavalier offense. Warriors coach Steve Kerr made a change in the starting lineup that paid dividends. He started JaVale McGee in place of Kevon Looney and McGee came through with a terrific performance. His stat line showed that he scored 12 points and had 2 rebounds, but he was tenacious on defense.

The Warriors raced out to a 32-28 lead after the first quarter. The Cavs, led by LeBron James, closed the gap to four at the end of the first period. They were hoping to take the lead in the second quarter, but the Warriors outscored them 27-18 to lead 59-46 at the end of the first half.

The Warriors, who usually blow away opponents in the third quarter, scored 31. The Cavs scored 34 to cut the deficit to 10 after three periods of play. Curry, Durant, Green, and Thompson decided to not allow the Cavs back into the game. Steph made several 3’s in the third and fourth quarters. He made the shot of the game in the fourth quarter when he made a three-pointer with Kevin Love draped all over him and the shot clock was about to expire. Steph’s legend grew as he made a shot that mere mortals could only dream of making. The Dubs outscored the Cavs 32-23 and Cavs’ coach Tyron Lue put in his bench with less than 4 minutes to go in the game. The Warriors win 122-103.

Game Notes- The Warriors, led by Draymond Green, unleashed their ferocious defense and kept the Cvs’ offense to 41% from the floor. The Cavs made nine 3-point shots in 27 attempts. Draymond Green had this to say about the team playing defense:”I don’t think we’re close to our ceiling, which is good for us. I think we can play so much better.”

Steph Curry finished the night with 33 points. Kevin Durant snapped out of his scoring slump with 26 points. KD also had 7 assists and 9 rebounds. Klay finished with 20. Draymond scored just 5, but he had 7 assists and 8 boards. Shaun Livingston, coming off the bench, had 10.

LeBron James, who scored 51 points Thursday, tallied 29. He had 20 in the first half and the Warriors defense held him to just 9 in the second. Kevin Love helped the Cavs with22. Tristan Thompson added 11, and George Hill knocked down 15. The Entire Cavs’ bench had just 21.

The Warriors shot a very impressive 57.3% from the floor and 41.7% from 3-point range. The Cavaliers outrebounded the Dubs 42-41. Cleveland again dominated the offensive boards as they had 16 while the Warriors had just 7.

Game Three will be played in Cleveland on Wednesday at 6 pm.

Cavs’ LeBron scores 51, but Warriors take Game 1 with 124-114 win

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Photo credit: @triplebszn

By: Ana Kieu

The rivalry continued as the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers met in the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year.

Dub Nation was excited to see their boys at Oracle Arena, and without a doubt, the players cleaned up nice before Game 1. Meanwhile, Wine and Gold Nation threw a watch party at the Quicken Loans Arena, courtesy of Budweiser.

Actress and San Jose, Calif., native Nayah Damasen, best known for her appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy” as Kimmie Park, sang the National Anthem. Damasen previously sung the anthem in the 2015 NBA Finals.

Steph Curry got the home crowd pumping with a 3-pointer to get the Warriors on the board. Curry later found Jordan Bell for the wide-open dunk.

Klay Thompson suffered what appeared to be a left lateral leg contusion, but he was re-taped and cleared to return to the game.

Both teams played their hearts out, but the Warriors trailed the Cavs 30-29 after the first quarter.

Thompson hit a three to help the Warriors grab the lead. With that three, Thompson (293) passed Kobe Bryant (292) for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time postseason threes list.

The clock was winding down, but Curry made a 30-foot buzzer beater from downtown. The Warriors evened the score 56-56 to end the first half.

At the half, Curry led all scorers with 18 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds. Kevin Durant had 11 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Thompson had 8 points. Draymond Green had 5 points, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Bell had 4 points.

The Warriors opened the second half with a 10-3 run. JaVale McGee then made a 2-point field goal look easy and followed up with an incredible dunk.

Neither team played defense to the best of their respective abilities, but that was seemingly okay as both teams were tied 68-68 with about 5.5 minutes left on the clock.

The game remained fairly close as the Warriors led the Cavs 84-78 after three quarters.

The Cavs cut the deficit to just 1 with 8:52 left in regulation, thanks to Jeff Green and Kyle Korver. Cleveland was 12-17 from the line at that time.

Curry’s three put the Warriors up by six for a 100-94 lead with 4:37 left remaining. This astonishing moment came just minutes after LeBron James had his eighth 40-point game in the playoffs and third in his last five.

The Cavs had a chance to escape with a one-point win, but George Hill made just one of two free throws. The game went into overtime.

The Warriors went on a 7-0 run to start the extra period. Golden State took a 114-107 lead in less than two minutes.

The Warriors were up by 8 with 2.6 seconds left.

The Warriors took Game 1 with a 124-114 victory over the Cavs.

In the end, Curry led all scorers with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Durant had 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. Thompson had 24 points and 3 rebounds. Green had 13 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. Shaun Livingston had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Kevon Looney had 8 points and 4 rebounds. Bell had 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. McGee scored 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 block.

Notes
Warriors’ starters: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Steph Curry.

Cavs’ starters: George Hill, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

Up Next 
The Warriors and Cavs meet again in Oakland Sunday at 6:00 pm PST on ABC.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: When Hollywood Comes to Oakland

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By: Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND, Calif. — For the first time ever in the history of the United States, the same two teams are meeting for the fourth consecutive time in a series that will decide the champion. The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers open the NBA Finals at the Oracle Arena Thursday night. The rivalry began in 2015 when the Warriors wiped out the Cavaliers in five games. In 2016, the Cavaliers rebounded as Lebron James, arguably the greatest player in the planet, defeated the Warriors in a grueling seven-game series. In 2017, the Warriors eliminated LeBron and company in six games.

Soon touching down at the Oakland International Airport, there will be many Lear jets bringing Hollywood celebrities to “the place to be.” Kim Kardashian, who just met with President Donald Trump in the White House to discuss prison reform, will likely be seen at Oracle Arena.

Like the previous three finals, we’ll probably see rapper Jay-Z, singer Rihanna, actor Kevin Hart, comedian Dave Chappelle, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar and NFL players Marshawn Lynch, Solomon Thomas and Odell Beckham Jr. We could also could see rapper Drake, actor Matt Damon and many more.

Oakland is closer to the “jet set” from Hollywood, so I am pretty sure we will see more stars in Oakland than Cleveland. It is only a one and a half hour flight. That’s good enough for these celebs to have breakfast in LA and dinner in the Bay with the game in between.

I remember in the 90’s, I traveled with the Warriors as their Spanish play-by-play announcer and saw guys at mid-court like Jack Nicholson in LA and Billy Crystal in New York. Nicholson was a fixture at the old Forum in LA at every Lakers game.

The Warriors were a popular team who always sold out at home, but never won a title. The last one was under Al Attles’ 1975-76 team, who swept the Washington Bullets.

The last four years the Oracle Arena has become a “Fantasy Island” for Warriors fans in the Bay Area. They’re now are the undisputed leaders in flag displays on thousands of cars, no matter where you drive in San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose, there’s a car with one or more Warriors flags. The Warriors have become larger than life in the greater Bay Area. There will be watch parties in bars, restaurants and private homes all over the Bay Area. It is like a second Super Bowl every year. Nobody expects the Warriors to lose.

It was a long season for both of these teams. Both were taken to seven games in their respective Conference finals: Warriors by the Rockets, who really did as good as they could against a superior team, and the Cavaliers in seven games against a young and promising Boston Celtics team.

Lebron James will really have to be Superman and have all of the Marvel Heroes support him again this time if he wants to take the Cavaliers to the promised land again like in 2016.

ABC producers are busy, as they are getting the camera locations and angels during rehearsals. They will also give you a couple shots of the celebrities. They will carry the series and I will be surprised if the Cavaliers can stay with the Warriors for five games.

All games on ABC, Channel 7 for the Bay Area, in PST.

1. Thursday, May 31 | Oakland | 6 p.m.
2. Sunday, June 3 | Oakland | 5 p.m.
3. Wednesday, June 6 | Cleveland | 6 p.m.
4. Friday, June 8 | Cleveland | 6 p.m.
5. Monday, June 11 | Oakland | 6 p.m.
6. Thursday, June 14 | Cleveland | 6 p.m.
7. Sunday, June 17 | Oakland | 5 p.m.

Kings Press Row Podcast: Trade Deadline Edition

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

press row podcast

Hosts Charlie O and Jordan “Chape” Chapin

  • February 8th was the NBA trade deadline and it was a very active day for the Sacramento Kings

  • Point Guard George Hill did become a Cleveland Cavalier as it had been rumored for weeks but it happened in a three team team deal that surprised many observers

  • Hill goes to Cleveland while Iman Shumpert, Joe Johnson, a 2020 second-round draft pick and cash come to Sacramento

  • In a big surprise move – Georgios Papagiannis is wavied while Malachi Richardson is sent to Toronto for Bruno Caboclo

  • Look for Johnson to be bought out while there could still be additional roster moves to come

  • Charlie O and Chape also take a look at the Kings schedule up to the All-Star break

  • This is a fun 30-minute listen for Kings fans that will bring you up to date on all the latest happenings with your favorite team

Kings Press Row Podcast for January 27, 2018: the losing streak is over & trade rumors run wild!

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

press row podcast

hosts Charlie O & Jordan “Chape” Chapin

  • The Kings love playing in Florida as they win two in a row in the Sunshine State

  • Every NBA rumor site in the world has George Hill going to the Cleveland Cavaliers

  • If Hill goes to the Cavs, the Kings could wind up with Iman Shumpert through the 2019 season. Is that worth the trade?

  • It looks like the Hill trade could mean that Skal Labissiere or Malachi Richardson could be on their way out of Sacramento. Is that worth the dollar savings of off-loading Hill?

  • Can the Kings off-load Shumpert during off-season before the start of the 2018-19 campaign?

  • Is it too soon to give up on Labissiere?

Charlie O and Jordan “Chape” Chapin talk all things Kings in this week’s edition of the King’s Press Row Podcast.

skalactionphoto

 

 

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.

Warriors pick up third straight road win with 118-108 victory over Cavaliers

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors continued their road trip with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday.

The Warriors’ starters consisted of Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Jordan Bell, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.

Thompson got things going in Cleveland with a catch and shoot early in the first quarter. He got a total of 11 points in his speedy run.

However, the Cavs went toe-to-toe with the Warriors and they were up 25-23 with 4:14 left in the first. Golden State then tied the game at 25 on a commanding two-point shot by Durant.

The Warriors trailed the Cavs 37-35 at the end of the first.

Curry, Durant and Shaun Livingston made the necessary shots in the second quarter, but the Warriors continued to trail the Cavs 64-57 at halftime.

Here are the Warriors’ halftime stats:

Durant and Green weren’t having it in the third quarter. Curry dunked like it was nothing. Curry also took a pass from Durant and attacked the rim with a two-handed jam. In addition, Curry hit quite a few 3-pointers.

But the Warriors had to settle for a two-point lead, 93-91, over the Cavs at the end of the third. Golden State had hoped for a strong finish in a tough matchup against Cleveland.

The Warriors got their largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter. Nick Young made a jumper to give his team a 10-point lead with 5:08 left in regulation. Green had a perfect vision to Andre Iguodala.

The Warriors finished off the Cavs to win the game 118-108 for their third straight road win.

Here are the Warriors’ final stats:

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Omri Casspi (low back soreness), Andre Iguodala (hip flexor strain) and Shaun Livingston is (left shin contusion) are available to play.

Cavs’ injury update: Derrick Rose (left ankle sprain) and Iman Shumpert (left knee effusion) are out.

When the holiday became nationally recognized in 1986, Cleveland has played on MLK Day 16 times (9-7 record). Today was the 11th time the Cavs will play on the holiday at home and will just be the fifth time the Cavs have played on MLK Day at Quicken Loans Arena (2002 vs. Heat, 2014 vs. Mavs, 2015 vs. Bulls, 2016 vs. Warriors).

Up Next
The Warriors take on the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday at 7 pm CT.