Warriors come back from 24-point deficit not enough to beat the Sixers 108-98

The Philadelphia 76ers Tony Bradley (11) center and guard Ben Simmons (25) exchange congratulations as the Sixers pick up their fifth consecutive road win over the Golden State Warriors on Tue Mar 23, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (@sixers photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, still without Stephen Curry’s services, faced a daunting task Tuesday night as they squared off against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers own the best record in the NBA east, 30-13, and the NBA’s second-best record. Their best player, Joel Embiid, was out with an injury.

The Sixers, coached by Doc Rivers, have been the hottest team in the NBA in March. Philadelphia averaged 120 points a game, and their defense is one of the best in the league. The Warriors’ defense had their work cut out for them if they hoped to win. The team welcomed back James Wiseman and Kevon Looney after they passed the necessary Covid-19 protocols. The Warriors even with Wiseman and Looney in the line up couldn’t close the Sixers losing Tuesday night 108-98.

The Sixers dominated the first half of play. The Warriors defense had no answers as the Sixers raced out to a 35-19 lead after 12 minutes of playing time. Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Tony Bradley led the onslaught. The Warriors regrouped in the second quarter as they cut the deficit to 14 at the end of the first half, 59-45.

Damion Lee, coming off the bench, led the Warriors with nine. Kelly Oubre also had nine. Jordan Poole had eight. Andre Wiggins and Draymond Green each had two. The Sixers’ Tobias Harris had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Simmons and Tony Bradley each had 12.

The Sixers appeared to be on their way to a blowout win over the Warriors. The Warriors had lost eight games by 20 or more points so far this season. They did not want to make it nine. The Warriors offense lit up the board with 40 points while holding them to 19 to finish the third period with a five-point lead 85-80. 

The Warriors were playing well on both ends of the court. They had their biggest lead of the night, 92-86, when things went south. Behind the big three of Simmons, Bradley, and Harris, the Sixers went on a 22-6 run to beat the Warriors by ten 108-98. The Sixers showed the Warriors that they are one of the best teams in the NBA because they know how to win in crunch time. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 22-22 for the season. The Sixers improved to 31-13. 

The Warriors’ head coach announced that Curry would miss another week due to a contusion on his tailbone. He will miss games against the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls. 

Kelly Oubre had a double-double with 24 points and ten rebounds to lead the Warriors’ offense. Jordan Poole knocked down 19 and was two-for-nine from behind the three-point arc. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, had 16. He made two threes. Wiggins finished with 14. James Wiseman had 11. Draymond Green had six points, nine boards, and six assists. The W’s shot 43 % from the floor and connected on eight three in 25 tries. The Sixers outrebounded them 63-51. 

The Sixers had six players in double-figures. Tobias Harris had a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Tony Bradley, too, had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards, Ben Simmons had 22, Shake Milton 13, Furkan Korkmaz 12, and Danny Green 11.

The Warriors play the Kings in Sacramento Thursday night. Tip off at 7 pm.

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Ramos sent to Giants minor league camp; A’s Olson hitting over .400; plus more

The San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos taking his cuts has hit over .390 in spring training has been assigned to minor league camp but not ruled out to make the opening day roster. (mercurynews.com photo)

On Headlines podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, the San Francisco Giants sent one their best hitters outfielder Heliot Ramos in spring to minor league camp the move reportedly doesn’t mean that Ramos will be not make the opening day roster he will remain in camp. Ramos has 11 hits, and three home runs and is hitting .393.

#2 Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson is having the spring of his life he’s hitting .406, eight runs, 13 hits, five homers and 14 RBIs there’s not too many pitches getting away from Olson.

#3 The Sacramento Kings have been playing .500 ball of late they have won four of their last eight games but lost their most recent game to the Philadelphia 76ers 129-105. The Kings struggled on defense as the Sixers scored 42 points in the first quarter to the Kings 21 an indicator of what was to come.

#4 The Golden State Warriors have been playing short handed as they lost a tough battle of a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night 111-103 in Memphis. Jordan Poole led the Warriors in scoring with 26 points and finishing second Andrew Wiggins with 20.

#5 The San Jose Sharks (11-14-4) lost their fourth straight game in San Jose on Saturday night to the St Louis Blues (16-10-5) 5-2. The Blues jumped to a 2-1 lead in the first period and the Sharks tied the game in the second period 2-2 and the Blues put the game away with three goals in the third period for the three goal win.

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Mar 22, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Grizzlies turn the tables on the Warriors, 111-103

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Grizzlies Saturday night at FedEx Forum in Memphis.

The Warriors were hoping to sweep the two-game set to win their third in a row. The Warriors were again without the services of Steph Curry, James Wiseman, and Eric Paschall. To make matters worse, the Warriors announced Kevon Looney would not play as he, too, was exposed to someone with the Covid-19 virus and, by NBA protocol, will not be available for 10 days.

What this meant for the Dubs was they had to play small ball once again. Draymond Green and Juan Toscano-Anderson would have to be the centers. Steve Kerr had Alen Smailagic available, too. Smiley did get into the game, but he played just eight minutes and committed five personal fouls. The Grizzlies Jonas Valanciunas took advantage of the smaller Warrior centers and lead his team with 19 points. The Grizzlies and Warriors played a very competitive game. The defense was the key as the Grizzlies held the Warriors to 34.4% from the floor. The Warriors held Memphis to 37.9%. The Grizzlies had just enough oomph to win 111-103.

The Warriors’ Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins paced the Warrior offense with 26 and 20 points. The Warrior offense did not do well in the first half, even though it finished with a two-point lead, 51-49. They shot 31% from the floor. Memphis was not much better. They shot 37.8%

The Warriors had a chance to win the game. Jordan Poole hit a three to give the Warriors a slim lead, 100-99, with 2:43 to play. The Grizzlies then went on an 8-0 run to lead 107-100 with 50 seconds left. Poole hit another three to make it 107-103. The Grizzlies scored the last four points of the game to win 111-103.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry missed his second game in a row with a contusion on his tailbone. He is still in pain and may not play next Tuesday when the Warriors play the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Jordan Poole continued his amazing turnaround Saturday night. The second-year player from Michigan knocked down 26 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists. He was 10-for-21 from the floor and connected on three threes. Andrew Wiggins, who scored 40 points Friday night, kicked in 20 points Saturday. Wiggins pulled down seven rebounds. The other Warriors in double figures were Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Kelly, playing with a sore ankle, had 12 points and six boards. Toscano-Anderson had 11 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He made three threes in five tries. Draymond Green finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and three assists. The Warriors had eight steals, seven blocked shots, and forced 12 Memphis turnovers. 

The Grizzlies had six players in double figures. Dillon Brooks joined Valanciunas with 19 points. Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane, coming off the bench, had 16 and 15 points, respectively. Ja Morant finished with 14 points.

With the loss, the Warriors are 22-21 for the year. The Grizzlies improved to 19-20.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PST.

Warriors, behind Andrew Wiggins’ fantastic performance, romp past Grizzlies 116-103

Photo credit: @TheNBACentral

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced a daunting task Friday night as they found themselves down three players against the Memphis Grizzlies. Their superstar, Steph Curry, was injured Wednesday in Houston. He suffered a contusion on his tailbone and was not able to play. James Wiseman and Eric Paschall were exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and by NBA protocol, they could not play. They will miss two more games. Kelly Oubre, Jr. was also injured in the Houston game, but he was able to play. Jordan Poole started in place of Curry. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knew hoped someone would step up and help propel the Warriors to a win. That someone was Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins had a season-high 40 points to lead the Warriors to an easy 116-103 win over the young Memphis Grizzlies.

Jordan Poole continued to play well since his return from the G-League. He has found his game and has shown the Warriors that he was not another first-round draft pick that was a bust. Poole knocked down 25 points and connected on three threes from downtown. 

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court. They had great ball movement all night long. They recorded 31 assists on 44 made baskets. Their defense was outstanding as they held the Grizzlies’ budding superstar, Ja Morant, to 14 points. The Warriors stole the ball 13 times, blocked six shots, and forced 20 turnovers. They scored 30 points off the 20 Memphis turnovers.

The teams played a very competitive first quarter. Memphis led 23-18 about two thirds through the period. The Warriors, behind Wiggins, Poole, and Damion Lee, finished the first 12 minutes of play with a 16-3 run to lead 34-26. Wiggins tallied 12 points, and Poole had eight points.

The Warriors continued to run and attack. Wiggins scored 15 more points to pace the Warriors to a 67-48 halftime lead. Wiggins finished with a career-high 27 points. It was the most points that he had ever scored in any half of basketball in his career. Poole finished the half with 17 points.

The Grizzlies failed to cut the deficit in the third quarter. The teams each scored 24 points in the period. The Warriors led by 19 after three periods 91-72. Kevon Looney, Damion Looney, and Wiggins all played well.

The Grizzlies won the fourth quarter 31-25. Most of the points came well after the game had been decided. The Warriors won 116-103.

Game Notes and stats: The Warriors won their second game in a row to improve to 22-20 for the season. Memphis dropped to 18-20.

Andrew Wiggins had quite a night with 40 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. He was 12-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on six threes in 11 tries. It was Wiggins’ best game as a Warrior. Jordan Poole’s line was 25 points, two rebounds, and two assists. He made 10 buckets in 15 attempts. He made three threes. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, also played well. Lee finished with 21 points, and knocked down four threes. Kevon Looney tied his season-high with 11 points.

Ja Morant and Grayson Allen led the Grizzlies with 14 points each. Their big center, Jonas Valanciunas, had a double-double with 10 points and 16 boards. Brandon Clarke, coming off the bench, had 13 points.

Up Next: The Warriors face the Grizzlies again Saturday night in Memphis. The game will start at 5 pm PST.

Warriors send the Rockets down 108-94 to their 18th loss in a row

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors had hoped to rebound after being routed by the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night, and rolled over the hapless Houston Rockets 108-94 at the Toyota Center in Houston.

The Rockets’ two best players, John Wall and Victor Oladipo, did not play. Wall is out with an injury, and Oladipo did not play in back-to-back games. Most of the names in the lineup probably were not well known to Warrior fans. The Warriors, who have lost five of their last six games, wanted to get back on the winning track against Houston. 

However, in the NBA, teams–no matter how dreadful–cannot be taken lightly. The Rockets played a very competitive first quarter. The Warriors turned the ball over seven times in the period, which led to 10 Houston points. Stephen Curry paced the Warrior offense with 13. Houston led 21-18 when the Warriors went on an 11-0 run to go-ahead 29-21. The Rockets scored the next six points to close the gap to two 29-27. Curry made a bucket to give the Warriors the lead at the end of the quarter 31-27.

In the second quarter, the new-look second unit helped outscore the Rockets by 20 points, 37-17, to end the first half with a commanding 24-point lead, 68-44. Since returning from the G-League, Jordan Poole, who has been sensational, led the assault with 15 points, including four threes from downtown. Andrew Wiggins had 15, Curry had 13, and Kelly Oubre had 10. Houston’s leading scorers were Kevin Porter with 13, Christian Wood with nine, and Kenyon Martin with seven.

Houston came to life in the third period. The Rockets outscored the Warriors 27-18. Curry was cold from behind the three-point arc. He finished the night with two threes in 11 tries. Draymond Green continued to play well, finishing the night with a triple-double. Although the Warriors played well on both ends of the court, the one flaw in the game was the number of fouls they committed.

Houston was able to get closer as a result. The Warriors led by fifteen, 86-71, at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors had to hold their collective breaths as Curry fell on his backside as the quarter ended. He limped to the locker room and did not return. He was diagnosed with a tailbone contusion.

The second unit played well in the fourth quarter. Jordan Poole continued to play well. He knocked down two more threes to finish the night with a career-high six threes. Kelly Oubre, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green refused to let the Rockets get back into the game. The Warriors won the game 108-94.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 21-20 for the season. The Rockets set a team record with their 18th loss in a row, and are now 11-28.

Draymond Green had his 27th career triple-double. The Warriors are 26-1 in those games. Jordan Poole led the Warriors with 23 points. Curry had 18 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Kelly Oubre had 19 points, while Andrew Wiggins had 17 points. Draymond Green had a season-high 16 points. He pulled down 12 rebounds and had 10 assists. The Warriors shot 45.6% from the floor. They were 16-for 45 from downtown. They recorded 32 assists on 41 made field goals. The Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 67-50. The Warriors gave the Rockets 40 free threes. Fortunately, the Rockets made only 21.

Kevin Porter led the Rockets with 25 points. Christian Wood had 21 points, and Kenyon Martin added 13 points.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Memphis Grizzlies in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday in Memphis. The game will start at 5 pm PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: After facing NBA’s best, Warriors in Houston to face NBA’s worst tonight

Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (left) seen here taking a shot against the Los Angeles Lakers Dennis Schroder (right). Curry led Golden State in scoring with 27 points on Mon Mar 15, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 David, the Warriors (20-20) faced the Los Angeles Lakers (26-13) on Monday night and the contest wasn’t even close as the Lakers dominated for the win 128-97.

#2 For the Warriors it’s was double trouble they had to defend Montrezl Harrell who finished as the top scorer with 27 points and LeBron James with 22 points. The Lakers were certainly a force and that’s considering after the Warriors beat the best team in basketball the night before in the Utah Jazz.

#3 The Warriors are in Houston tonight to face the Rockets (11-26) the Rockets have lost 16 straight games and there is very little doubt that since the departure of James Harden to Brooklyn they have fell on very hard times.

Join David for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Wed Mar 17, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

LeBron leads Lakers in route over the Warriors 128-97

Los Angeles Laker LeBron James (23) throws down over Golden State Warriors forward Eric Paschall (7) and center James Wiseman during the first half on Mon Mar 15, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo) 

What a difference a day makes. The Warriors, coming off their best game of the season on Sunday, were soundly trounced by the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers Monday night at the Chase Center.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol did not play Monday night. Former Warrior Damion Jones started at the center position for the Lakers and played well on both ends of the court.

The Lakers won the third and fourth quarters, too. LeBron James, Harrell, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kyle Kuzma, and the rest of the Lakers could not be stopped. The Lakers outscored the Warriors 63-47 in the second half to win easily 128-97.

Game Notes and stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 20-20 for the year. They have lost five of their last six games. The Lakers are 26-13.

The player of the game was LeBron James. James recorded his 98th career triple-double. He finished with 22 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists. He is fifth all-time in the NBA with triple-doubles. Harrell scored 27 to pace the Lakers, Horton-Tucker has 18, Kuzma 17, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 14. Damion Jones had 8 points and four rebounds.

Curry led the Warriors with 27. Curry had two assists to pass Guy Rodgers for the Warriors’ all-time assist leader. Curry has 4856 assists, one more than Rodgers. Andrew Wiggins knocked down 15, Kelly Oubre, 12. The second unit backcourt of Jordan Poole and Nico Mannion had 14 and 10. 

The Lakers outrebounded the Warriors 53-35. LA had 36 assists on 49 field goals. They finished the night shooting 62.8% from the field. The Lakers controlled scoring in the paint 68-40. 

The Warriors go on the road for three games. They play the Houston Rockets Wednesday night in Houston. The game starts at 5 pm. They play a back-to-back series with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and Saturday. 

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Wiseman the Wiser after missing test and some basketball mistakes scores 16 against Jazz

Golden State Warriors rookie center James Wiseman whose been back in the starting line up since Sunday night against Utah has been working to get back in the team’s good graces since missing a Covid-19 test and flagging play (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 The last two weeks since the All Star break have not been too kind to Golden State Warriors rookie center James Wiseman. First there were the talks about trading Wiseman to the Minnesota Timberwolves but the Warriors were looking for a “generational player” in return which Minnesota didn’t have and then there was the missed Coronavirus test Wiseman missed before the All Star break.

#2 Wiseman had to sit down for the first three quarters during the Warriors game in Los Angeles against the Clippers last Thursday night. It was the fourth quarter when Warriors head coach Steve Kerr allowed Wiseman to get into the game and Wiseman scored 14 points.

#3 The forgotten test put more scorn on the 19 year old center and his play has been questioned as well as his professionalism but as a rookie are these just rookie mistakes of a young man trying to learn the ropes and culture of the NBA?

#4 Wiseman’s mother Donzaleigh Artis has been a big help and inspiration for Wiseman showing him the bible passage of Matthew 6:25 “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?” Wiseman took it to heart and will try and not stress about the missed test and plans to improve from the mistake.

#5 You can rest assured that Wiseman who was in the line up Sunday night and again will be there against the Lakers at Chase Center on Monday night. Kerr is forgiving of Wiseman after Wiseman apologized and said “give him some space and some time this guys going to be amazing”

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Monday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Mar 15, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Warriors stun Jazz 131-119 Curry shines on his birthday

Nothing but a big victory was popping out of Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry’s (30) 33rd birthday cake after the Warriors defeated one of the toughest teams in the NBA the Utah Jazz at the Chase center in San Francisco on Sun Mar 14, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, still smarting from a devastating loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last Thursday, stunned the Utah Jazz Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center. The Jazz entered the contest with a record of 28-9.

They had overwhelmed the Warriors 121-99 on January 23rd in Salt Lake City. The Warriors won Sunday’s game 131-119. There were many positives for the Warriors on Sunday. Stephen Curry was his usual brilliant self as he celebrated his 33rd birthday with 32 points, five rebounds, and nine assists.

The Warriors’ head coach had to be ecstatic about the performances by Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, and the Warriors second unit. Wiggins played his best game of the year.

He performed well on both ends of the court. He knocked down 28 points. He was 12-for-16 from the floor and connected on three threes in four tries. Draymond Green finished with a triple-double. Draymond’s numbers were 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

It was the 26th time that Draymond has had a triple-double in his career, and the Warriors’ record in those games is an astounding 25-1. Draymond also recorded four steals. Quite a performance.

The Warriors, as a team, had to find a way to stop the Jazz’ offense. Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conly make up a very potent Utah backcourt. The two can knock down threes, and the Warriors did their best to contain them.

The Jazz had three other players that added to their potent offense. The Warriors defense held two of them in check. Bojan Bogdanovich was held to nine and just one three. Joe Ingles, who has tormented the Warriors over the years, knocked down two threes and eight points in total. Sixth-year player Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points coming off the bench. He was a tough customer to stop. He hit three threes.

The Warriors took an early 6-2 lead. Utah went ahead 11-9. Curry made a three and was fouled. Curry made the free throw, and the Warriors regained the lead 13-11. The play was the beginning of a 15-0 run to put them ahead 24-11. They would never lose the lead. The Warriors finished the first quarter leading 33-22.

Steve Kerr sent out his second unit to start the second quarter. Jordan Poole and Nico Mannion were in the backcourt. James Wiseman was at center, and Kelly Oubre, Jr, and Eric Paschal were the forwards.

The Jazz had their first unit on the floor, and they started the quarter on a 12-2 run to close the gap to 35-34. The second unit did not fold. Poole made two threes, Mannion and Paschall each connected on a three to put the Dubs ahead 52-45. Kerr inserted Curry, Green, and Wiggins.

Along with Eric Paschall, they paced the Warriors to a 13-point advantage 67-54 at the end of the first half. Curry led the Warriors with 14. He did not score in the second quarter as the Jazz double-teamed every time he had the ball in his hands.

Wiggins had 12, Gree 11, and Jordan Poole had ten. Michale Conly had 18, and Jordan Clarkson ten to lead the Jazz. Big Rudy Gobert had nine points and 13 rebounds.

The Warriors knew that the Jazz would not go down quietly. The Warriors had to find a way to prevent the Jazz from overcoming the halftime deficit.

It was not going to be easy, but the Warriors did not falter. Wiggins, Wiseman, and Curry were able to prevent the Jazz from regaining the lead. The Jazz did outscore the Warriors 32-28 to finish the quarter trailing by nine 95-86.

Kerr inserted his second unit to start the fourth quarter. The Jazz seized on the opportunity as they scored the first six points of the quarter to creep within three points 95-92. The Warriors answered, but the Jazz inched even closer 101-100.

With the score 103-102, Paschall and Poole made buckets to go ahead by five 107-102 with 6:41 left to play. The Jazz still had a lot of time left to overtake the Warriors. Poole, Wiggins, and Paschall all made big plays to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat 118-109.

Poole made two threes, Wiggins a deuce, and Paschall a three in that stretch. Curry was back in the game, and he hit from downtown to make it 121-111. Wiggins made another three to give the Warriors an eight-point advantage with 1:08 left. The Warriors won 131-119. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 20-19 for the year. Utah is now 28-10 for the season.

The good news for the Warriors was the performance of the players coming off the bench. They outscored Utah’s bench 51-36.

James Wiseman had 16 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Jordan Poole finished with 18. He was six-for eleven from the floor, and he was three-for-five from downtown. Eric Paschall had nine, including one three-pointer. Nico Mannion had five points. Nico also made a three.

As a team, the Warriors shot 56.2%. The Warriors were 16-for-31 from behind the three-point arc food for 51.6%. They recorded 33 assists on 50 made baskets. On defense, the Warriors had 12 steals, two blocked shots, and forced 13 turnovers.

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert each had 24 points to lead the Jazz. Gobert had a jaw-dropping career-high with 27 rebounds. Michael Conley finished with 23, and Jordan Clarkson added 21.

Curry closed in another Warrior record Sunday afternoon. He needs one more assist to tie Guy Rodgers with the all-time assist record. He should break the record Monday night against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

The Warriors meet the Lakers Monday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Hawks just too much for Kings to handle 121-106

The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) had seen enough scoring as the Atlanta Hawks Clint Capela (15) aims high to score on Sat Mar 13, 2021 in Atlanta (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings came into Saturday nights game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta feeling good. But after the game they felt a lot worse than before the game getting their feelings hurt by the Hawks 121-106. The Kings have lost eight of their last ten games.

Flashback  Thursday: The Kings came out of the All Star break on Thursday playing the Houston Rockets in which they beat 125-105. In the Rockets game, the Kings dominated most of the game. De’Aaron Fox led the the way with 30 points for the Kings. The Kings would be looking to continue the start to the second half against the Hawks in Atlanta at 4:30 PM PST.

Saturday night recap: In the first half, The Kings struggled mightily. However, you wouldn’t know if if you only watched the first quarter. The Kings out scored the Hawks 33-22 in the first quarter in what seemed to be solid offense and defense.

The second quarter, things went downhill for the Kings who only managed 18 points as the Hawks lit up the Kings defense by scoring 38. In the second half the Kings would need to make up a 61-51 deficit.

In the second half, the Kings weren’t able to recover. The Kings were outscored 37-30 in the third as all potential of a comeback appeared to be lost. In the fourth quarter, the Kings defense improved but not enough to make a comeback.

The Kings held the Hawks to 23 points in the fourth but were only able to score 25 points themselves. The Kings would lose the game 121-106. De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Kings as the games leading scorer at 32 points. Trae Young led the way for the Hawks with 28 points.

It was a disappointing showing for the Kings as they will look to get back on track in their next game.

Next up: The Kings will travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets at 4 PM PST.