Tag: Golden State Warriors

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, front right, tries to get around Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, during the first half of Game 6 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Apr 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings tipped off against the Warriors Friday night at the Chase Center. The Kings, facing elimination with their back to the wall, did what was necessary to beat the Warriors 118-99. Mike Brown, the former Warriors’ assistant head coach, had his team ready.

Brown took a page from the Warriors’ game plan when he used Trey Lyles in the number-five slot. Brown had Domantas Sobonis on the bench and went with a small lineup. That decision turned the tide for Sacramento. The Kings did everything right. The stats show the Kings took more shots than the Warriors.

They held the Warriors to 37% from the floor. It was the Warriors’ worst offensive performance at home this season. The Kings made more three-point shots. They made 17, while the Warriors connected on ten. The Kings outrebounded the Warriors 66-60. The Warriors recorded 20 assists.

When the Warriors are on their game, they usually make close to 30 assists. The low assist total indicated the Warriors needed to move the ball better. Too many Warriors were trying to make plays rather than find the open man. The Kings’ bench, led by Malik Monk and Lyles, outscored the Warriors bench 52-21. Draymond Green scored 21 points on Wednesday and was held to four. Jordan Poole was guilty of too many turnovers and sloppy plays. Poole finished with seven points.

The first quarter was a defensive struggle. The Kings got off to an early 8-0 lead. The Warriors put points on the board, and the lead changed hands several times in the first quarter. Golden State led 25-23 after the first period. The Kings won the second quarter 35-26 to finish the first half with a seven-point advantage 58-51.

The Kings’ Keegan Murray paced the team with 12 points. Murray connected on four threes. De’Aaron Fox had ten, Monk 11, Lyles nine, and Sabonis five. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 16. Stephen Curry had 13. The Kings took nine more shots in the first half, 54 to 45.

The Warriors knew they would have to play better in the third quarter to win. They had to find a way to stop committing turnovers and make stops on defense. Neither happened. The Kings, behind the play of Monk and Lyles, paced the Kings to a 90-80 lead after three quarters. Lyles played more in the third period as Sabonis had to sit on the bench with five fouls.

The Warriors knew a ten-point lead was relatively easy to overcome when trailing to start the fourth quarter. They had to attack the basket, find the open man, and make some threes. The Kings had other thoughts. They knew they had to play well on both ends of the court.

They accomplished their objective. Every time the Warriors made a three, the Kings answered with one of their own. They were blocking shots, rebounding, and getting second-chance points. Their hard work was rewarded with a win.
Sacramento beat the Warriors to force a game seven. The game will be played at the Golden 1 Arena on Sunday. The game will start at 12:30 pm.

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins scores past Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) and guard Malik Monk (0) during the first half of Game 5 at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Apr 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Beat Kings For the First Road Win of This Series 123-116

By Barbara Mason

Head Coach Steve Kerr was having no part of the statistics that teams that win game five in a series go on to win the series. The Golden State Warriors (44-38) will concentrate on protecting the ball and defensive rebounds as they take on the Sacramento Kings (48-34) in game five of their series at Golden One Center. The Warriors improved their series record to 3-2 with a 123-116 win on Wednesday night in Sacramento.

All eyes were on the injured De’Aaron Fox as he took the court after breaking his left index finger in the fourth quarter of game four. He was sporting a protective splint and the question remained, how will this affect not only his dribbling but his shooting. We got that answer the first quarter of the game.

After the first 12 minutes of play, the Kings led by a slim margin 36-33 after leading by as much as ten during the quarter. Any concerns regarding Fox were laid to rest when he hit three shots from downtown and finished the first quarter with 11 points.

With 3:54 left in the second quarter the Warriors tied up the game at 50 when Klay Thompson hit his third triple of the game. Both Andrew Wiggins and Thompson had four personal fouls. Thompson had the hot hand in the first half with 16 points. The Kings Fox had the high for the team with 17 points. At the half the Warriors led 60-56.

The Warriors turned this game in their favor in the third quarter leading 99-90. It would all come down to the fourth quarter to reveal who would take the series lead back to Chase Friday night.

The Kings fought back and with 1:11 left in the game trailed 117-114. Sacramento could not get over the hump. The Warriors playoff experienced trumped when all was said and done. It was the Warriors by eight 122-114 with 22.4 left in the game and Golden State could smell their first road win of this series.

Stephen Curry finished the game with 31 points. He moved past Magic Johnson for 15th on the all- time playoff scoring list in this game. Thompson had 25 points and Draymond Green was amazing with 21 points. The last time Green scored 20 points in a game was 2019 against the Rockets. Kevon Looney had an amazing 22 rebounds.

Despite playing with a broken finger, Fox finished with 24 points. Domantas Sabonis had 21 points as did Malik Monk off the bench.

Friday night the Warriors will take the series back to Chase Center. They will be looking to close out this series now leading 3-2. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) goes for the throw down against the Sacramento Kings power forward Domantis Sabonis (10) at Chase Center in San Francisco Sun Apr 23, 2023 (@warriors photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, Sunday’s game 4 was a hair raising, sit on the edge of your seat game with the Golden State Warriors just getting by the Sacramento Kings 126-125. The Warriors tied the series 2-2 after being down 2-0.

#2 Once again the Kings had a tough time shutting down Warrior guard Stephen Curry who led all Golden State scorers with 32 and was a key factor in keeping the Warriors close.

#3 Klay Thompson kept the family tradition of the Splash Brothers going finishing behind Curry with 26 points this was crucial game for Golden State the home floor and they depended on both Thompson and Curry to finish strong it was win big or go back to Sacramento down 3-1.

#4 The loss for the Kings was still not without a hard effort from leading scorer De’Aaron Fox who led all scorers with 38 points, the Kings Keegan Murray followed up with 23 points.

#5 Same clubs Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento a 7:00pm tip off for game 5 as the Warriors make their second trip to Sacramento. The Warriors have won only 11 times on the road this season and dropped the first two games in Sacramento Kings.

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

Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry (30) gets congratulations from daughter Riley at the completion of game four of the NBA Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors beat the young and talented Sacramento Kings 126-125 Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The game had everything a fan could want. The Warriors needed the win to even the series. The Warriors knew that a loss would have Sacramento in the driver’s seat with three games to one advantage, and the next game would be on their Kings’ homecourt in Sacramento.

The fans of both teams knew that each team could put points on the board in a hurry. The Kings and The Warriors were the top two scoring teams in the NBA. The defending NBA champs, the Warriors, had to find a way to defend the upstart Kings.

The Warriors found a way last Thursday when they held the Kings under 100 points. The Warriors did that without their best defensive players, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II. Green was suspended for one game, and Payton was too ill to play. The Kings had to find a way to slow down the Warriors offense. The Kings had an advantage as their head coach Mike Brown had been an assistant head coach with the Warriors for the past six years and was familiar with the Warriors offense.

All that was left to do was play 48 minutes of basketball. The teams performed at a very high level. The first half featured two high-octane offenses going at each other. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, coming into his own this season, paced the offense in the first half with 21 points.

Rooke Keegan Murray helped out the Kings’ attack with 15 points. Both Murray and Fox made three threes in the first half. The Kings won the first quarter 31-29. The Warriors fought back in the second period. With the score tied at 49, the Kings went on a 7-0 run to lead 56-49.

Sacramento increased the lead to nine, 60-51. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson helped the Warriors close the gap to one, 66-65. Murray made a three, and the Kings finished the first half leading 69-65. Both teams went to the locker room, feeling they could win. The fans needed the break to relax from all the intensity they felt from the players on the floor.

The Warriors emerged from the halftime break with one objective. Shut down the Kings’ offense and outscore them in the third quarter. Over the many years they have been in the playoffs, the Warriors have owned the third quarter. The Warriors knew if they would demoralize the Kings.

Sacramento had not been in the playoffs for 16 years. The Kings’ players were experiencing playoff basketball for the first time in their careers. How would they handle the pressure? The intensity is ramped up in these games. The Warriors fell behind by seven early in the third quarter when former Warriors forward Harrison Barnes connected on a three.

The Warriors then outscored the Kings 37-20 to finish the third quarter leading by ten, 102-92. Curry and Jordan Poole led the Warriors in the period. The Warriors defense, led by Green and Andrew Wiggins, put the clamps on Fox for those 12 minutes. 

The fans were standing at the start of the game’s fourth quarter. The fans also knew a ten-point lead could be overcome. Fox, the NBA’s Jerry West Clutch Performer of the Year, was ready to attack. The Warriors assigned Green to defend him, and the quarter started with Sacramento going on a 7-0 run to close within three points of the lead, 102-99.

Sacramento kept the pressure on and took the lead 107-106 on a Malik Monk bucket. That was the last time that Sacramento would lead. 

Curry made the next two baskets for the Warriors to make it a 110-107 game. The Kings came back to within a point, 118-117. The Warriors pulled away to lead by five, 126-121. With 43 seconds left to play and Curry with the ball, Curry called a timeout.

There was only one problem. The Warriors were out of timeouts. The referees awarded the Kings a technical foul and possession of the ball. Sacramento made the technical free throw, and Fox connected on a three to close the gap to one, 126-125. With ten seconds left, the Kings had control of the ball. They had to make a bucket or go to the free-throw line to win the game. The Warriors’ defense held, and the Warriors evened the series at two apiece with a thrilling one point win.

Game Notes: The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the parade with 32 points. Thompson had 26, Poole 22, Andrew Wiggins 18, and Green with 12. Green had ten rebounds to complete a double-double. Kevon Looney tallied eight points and pulled down 14 boards. The Warriors, on defense, had 51 rebounds, eight steals, and six blocked shots. 

The Kings had four players in double figures. Fox led the Kings with 38 points. Murray had 23, and he made five threes. Monk had 16, Davion Mitchell 12, and Domantas Sabonis finished with 14. Sabonis had seven rebounds and eight assists. 

The teams are off until Wednesday night, when they play game five of the series will be played at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento. The game will start at 7 pm.

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, foreground, shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, left, and forward Kevon Looney during the second period at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Apr 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The key to a Warrior win was this-the team needed to stop fouling, find a way to play better defense, stop making turnovers, and have their offensive weapons carry the day. All those happened as the Warriors led wire to wire to defeat the Sacramento Kings 114-97.

#2 The Kings arrived in San Francisco brimming with confidence. They had beaten the defending NBA Champions twice. Their offensive stars, Domantas Sabonos, DeAron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, and Malik Monk, all played well in the first two games. 

#3  Here’s how things went in the third period. Andrew Wiggins, Stephen Curry, and Moody helped the Warriors put 31 points on the board in the quarter. The Kings, behind Fox and Sabonis, also helped Sacramento tally 31 points. 

#4  The Warriors offense came to life as Golden State led by 18, 95-77, with a little over nine minutes left to play. Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Curry led the charge.

#5 It was a great game for the Warriors. They need to win on Sunday to even the series at two apiece. If they can achieve that goal, the Warriors will have to find a way to win on the road, as Sacramento will have the home-court advantage in two of the last three games in the series. 

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcast Friday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) is congratulated by guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) after scoring against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Apr 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, down two games to none, returned home to face the Sacramento Kings Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors had to get a win to stay alive in the first round of the NBA playoffs. They had to get the win without their two best defensive players.

The NBA suspended Draymond Green for one game for his aggressive behavior in game two of the series. Green stomped on Domantas Sabonis’ sternum after Sabonis held on to Draymond Green’s ankle. Defensive whiz Gary Payton II was unavailable due to an injury.

The key to a Warrior win was this-the team needed to stop fouling, find a way to play better defense, stop making turnovers, and have their offensive weapons carry the day. All those happened as the Warriors led wire to wire to defeat the Sacramento Kings 114-97.

The Kings arrived in San Francisco brimming with confidence. They had beaten the defending NBA Champions twice. Their offensive stars, Sabonos, DeAron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, and Malik Monk, all played well in the first two games. Were the Warriors capable of stopping the high-scoring Kings’ offense? The Warriors answered with a very loud yes. 

The Warriors played well in the first quarter. They won the quarter 29-20. Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry led the offense in the second quarter. The Warriors finished the first half leading by 12 points, 53-41. The first half featured defense by both teams. The Warriors shot 34% from the floor, while the Kings shot 32.7%. The Warriors committed six turnovers to the Kings’ ten. The Warriors scored 13 points off those turnovers, the Kings three. 

The Warriors needed to find a way to stop Fox and Sabonis in the third quarter. Fox had been a force in the second halves of games all season, especially in the fourth quarter. Here’s how things went in the third period. Wiggins, Curry, and Moody helped the Warriors put 31 points on the board in the quarter. The Kings, behind Fox and Sabonis, also helped Sacramento tally 31 points. The quarter ended with the Warriors leading by 12, 84-72.

The players and fans know that a 12-point lead can be overcome in the last 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors had shown the Kings they could play defense without Green and Payton. Donte DiVincenzo had been a force on defense throughout the game.

Kevon Looney blocked shots and was in the right place to pick up rebounds. They needed 12 more intense minutes on both ends of the court to get the win. The Warriors offense came to life as Golden State led by 18, 95-77, with a little over nine minutes left to play. Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Curry led the charge. The Kings tried to fight back, but the Warriors defense did not relent. The Warriors increased the lead to 23, 114-91, with 2:31 left.

Game Notes: The Warriors are back for Game Four of the series to be played Sunday at the Chase Center at 11:30 am.

The Warriors had so many stars shining Thursday night. Curry led the team with 36 points. Wiggins had 20, Poole 16, Klay Thompson 13, and Moody 13. DiVincenzo had six points. However, DiVincezo was all over the court Thursday night.

DiVincezo pulled down eight rebounds and had eight assists. Looney scored two big buckets in the game, but he was a force on defense as he pulled down 20 rebounds and helped on offense with nine assists. The Warriors, as a team, pulled down 69 rebounds. They also had 18 offensive rebounds. The Warriors blocked five shots and had 12 steals.

The Warrior defense clogged the middle and held Sabonis to 15 points. The Kings’ big center pulled down 16 rebounds. Fox led the Kings with 26 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists. Fox made three threes in nine tries.

The Warriors committed 11 turnovers in the game. The Kings scored seven points off those miscues. The Warriors defense forced the Kings to turn the ball over 15 times. The Warriors put 22 points on the board as a result.

It was a great game for the Warriors. They need to win on Sunday to even the series at two apiece. If they can achieve that goal, the Warriors will have to find a way to win on the road, as Sacramento will have the home-court advantage in two of the last three games in the series.