Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (23) passes the ball under pressure from the Houston Rockets Kevin Durant (7) in game 2 of the NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Apr 22, 2026 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson:
#1How did LeBron James influence the outcome of Game 2, and what aspects of his performance (scoring, playmaking, leadership) were most impactful?
#2 What were the main reasons the Houston Rockets struggled offensively despite having Kevin Durant back in the lineup for game 2 and is back for game 3.
#3 How did the Los Angeles Lakers exploit defensive weaknesses—particularly involving Alperen Şengün—through their game plan?
#4 What role did Lakers supporting players like Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard play in securing the victory?
#5 After falling behind 0–2 in the series, what adjustments must the Rockets make heading into Game 3 to stay competitive?
Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic (pictured) is listed out with a grade 2 hamstring injury and Austin Reaves (not pictured) is out with a grade 2 oblique muscle injury. They are expected to miss the post season according to reports. (Getty photo)
NBA podcast Michael Roberson:
#1 How does Los Angeles Lakers Luka Dončić’s and Austin Reaves injuries impact the Western Conference playoff race and potential Finals contenders? (Consider how tightly packed teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, and Rockets are right now.)
#2 Which late-season performance is more impressive: Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić’s triple-double dominance or Jalen Brunson’s clutch game-winner—and why? (Think about MVP narratives vs. clutch impact.)
#3 Are the Houston Rockets legitimate contenders in the West, or are they benefiting from favorable matchups and timing? (Use their current form and matchup vs. the Suns as context.)
#4 Can the Boston Celtics sustain their late-season surge into a championship run, and what factors make them especially dangerous? (Focus on Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and team chemistry.)
#5 Will Shaquille O’Neal’s new professional dunk league enhance basketball culture or distract from the NBA product?
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Prozingis (7) gestures after making a basket against the Boston Celtics at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Feb 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor:
#1 How will the absence of Stephen Curry impact the Warriors’ offensive strategy? With Stephen Curry expected to miss this game due to a knee injury, what adjustments might Golden State make to generate scoring without their star guard?
#2 The Houston Rockets are next up for Golden State this Thursday, can Houston’s current offensive leaders, like Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün, exploit the Warriors’ defense? After a strong recent performance where Durant and Şengün combined for 62 points and rebounds, how should the Rockets attack Golden State on Tuesday?
#3 How might the Warriors handle their frontcourt rotations given the uncertain status of Kristaps Porziņģis? Porziņģis’s ongoing illness leaves Golden State thinner up front—what lineup changes might Coach Steve Kerr employ?
After finally breaking their 16-game losing streak in Memphis on Monday the Sacramento Kings (13-47)traveled to Houston losing to the Houston Rockets (36-21) in a blow-out. At one time in the game the Kings trailed by 36 points, getting beat 128-97.
Russell Westbrook had the team high of 22 points. The team suffered another injury when Keegan Murray appeared to have re-injured his ankle limping off the court in the first quarter. It is not known if he will take the court Thursday in Dallas but chances are that he will not.
Game recap: Houston smothered the Kings in the opening quarter of this game 33-22 setting the stage for what could turn out to be a dominating first half of basketball. It got even worse for Sacramento in the second quarter still dragging, getting outscored by Houston 44-28 and trailing at the half 77-50. It was a totally uninspiring first half of basketball for the Kings. They could not get any sort of rhythm going in the first half.
The only King who had anything going in the first half was Russell Westbrook. He had double digits at the half taking a lot of shots trying to carry his team: he really hustled in the opening quarter carrying it into the second quarter.
Sacramento just could not get into any sort of rhythm going and to make things more taxing, Keegan Murray left the game with 3:23 left in the first quarter with a left ankle injury. He limped off the court and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
He had recently struggled with a recent left ankle injury and this marked another Sacramento starter out. This was only his fourth game back after a 20-game absence due to the left ankle injury and this appears to be a recurrence of that injury.
The Rockets with a 27-point lead at the half were cruising. Sacramento had a better third quarter but trailing by 27 points to start the second half they needed a whole lot more. The Rockets outscored them in the quarter 31-26 taking a 107-76 lead into the fourth quarter. The largest lead in the game for Houston was 36 points. They took care of business early and never looked back.
The Kings did outscore the Rockets in the final quarter 21-20 falling to Houston 128-97. Sacramento protected the ball well committing only 12 turnovers. They got scorched in the field and only hit seven shots from beyond the arc while the Rockets had 17 in this game. Again Russell Westbrook had the team high with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Nique Clifford had a great game off the bench finishing with 15 points.
As expected the trio of Kevin Durant, Alperon Sengun and Reed Sheppard finished off the Kings. Sheppard had the game high with 28 points, Sengun with 26 and Durant with 21. Sengun had a triple-double with 13 rebounds and 11 assists. All three of these guys were on fire controlling the pace from start to finish.
Game notes: Monday evening the Kings broke an unimaginable losing streak, their longest in franchise history at 16 beating the Memphis Grizzlies 123-114. Wednesday night the Kings faced the third place team in the Western Conference, the Rockets.
The Kings were without three of their starters and Dylan Cardwell remains out with an ankle injury with a possible return date of March 19th. Although Keegan Murray had been listed out with an ankle issue he did take the court in this game. The Rockets have Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet on the injured list.
This was a real test for Sacramento taking on one of the best teams in the Western Conference attempting to contain Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun. Monday night, the Rockets took it to the Utah Jazz 125-105 at home and Wednesday night the Rockets picked up another win.
It will be a quick turnaround for Sacramento traveling up to Dallas for a matchup with the Mavericks Thursday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
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.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James attempts to dribble past the Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Jan 12, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria:
#1 It seems after the Kings defeated the Houston Rockets on Sunday night they seem like they got their mojo back and hung with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in a back and forth game for the second win in a row.
#2 Did DeMar De Rozan, playing at home against a team like the Lakers led in scoring with 32 points, how did he try to control the tempo, especially during momentum swings?
#3 For Russell Westbrook, what was the key to battling inside against the Lakers’ size, and how did Westbrook affect the Kings’ offensive flow?”
#4 Zach LeVine, how did the defensive matchups Monday night influence LeVine’s shot selection and activity off the ball?”
#5 Maxime Raynaud, when he was facing a familiar opponent, how did he balance staying aggressive while keeping the offense organized?
#6 On Precious Achiuwa, what stood out about the Lakers’ defensive coverage, and how did Achiuwa look to exploit it?”
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.
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles against the Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Jan 9, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Zach LaVine is one of Sacramento’s leading scorers and a primary offensive threat for the Kings this season how do you see him executing against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
#2 Can DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk provide enough offensive balance to complement Sacramento’s scoring?
#3 What impact will Russell Westbrook’s playmaking and leadership have against Houston’s defense?
#4 How important will contributions from role players like Dennis Schröder be if Houston focuses its defense on the Kings’ stars?
#5 With Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray’s status uncertain with injury concerns, who steps up for the Kings on the boards and interior defense?
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.
Sacramento Kings Dennis Schoder (17) and Russell Westbrook (18) share congratulations after defeating the Houston Rockets in overtime at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 21, 2025 (Sacramento Kings X photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
1.The Sacramento Kings took on the Houston Rockets last night still without two of their major players Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis at Golden 1 Arena. Is there any relief on the horizon for Sacramento- what is the status of their returns?
2.The Kings got a great start in the early minutes of the the game Sunday night but the Rockets made up the difference after starting slow and began to extend their lead leading up to their halftime lead.
3.This game got intense in the fourth quarter in fact the Kings had a very real chance to clock a win pulling to within one point with three minutes left in the game. Once again they had a great opportunity to close out the fourth quarter and the game.
4.After trailing going into the final minutes of regulation who stepped up for Sacramento to secure the win for the Kings.
5.Next up for the Kings will another home game taking on the Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons this Tuesday night. What challenges do the Pistons bring into this game?
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.
Golden State Warriors Brandin Podziemski (2), Jimmy Butler (22), and Stephen Curry (30) watch from the bench in the second half as they lose game 5 of the NBA Playoffs first round to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston on Wed Apr 30, 2025 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson:
#1 Golden State Warriors failed on both end of defense and offense on Wednesday and failed in an elimination opportunity to take out the Houston Rockets with a 131-116 loss as the Rockets cut the deficit in a now 3-2 series.
#2 The Warriors got into a jam early in the game as you saw super star players sitting on the Golden State bench, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and the remaining Warriors starters as head coach Steve Kerr played the backups in the last five minutes in the third quarter with the Rockets up with a 20 point lead.
#3 Kerr did share in the blame of how the Warriors performed in Houston in game five saying that he did not have them ready to play. That the Warriors got into foul trouble with three fouls in a two minute segment of the game. The Rockets were 13 for 13 from free throw line at the end of the first quarter.
#4 After a very physical game 4 at Golden State and the series moved back to Houston for game 5 how fired up were this Rockets group they just jumped out at the Warriors right from the tip off?
#5 The Rockets head to Golden State for game 6 Fri May 2 for a 6:00pm PDT tip off. The Warriors can put this away with home court advantage and advance to the second round. However if the Rockets come out again keyed up and with another game plan to shut down Golden State’s starting line up it would force a game 7 that would go back to Houston on Sun May 4th.
In the second quarter of game 4 of the NBA Playoffs things got heated between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston on Mon Apr 28, 2025 (AP News photo)
On the Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor:
#1 Dave how much blame to you give Golden State Warriors Draymond Green who received a Flagrant 1 foul with 2:44 left in the second quarter when Green pushed the Houston Rockets Tari Eason’s face into the hardwood. Eason also picked up a technical.
#2 There was already tension between the two teams going back to game 2 when Jimmy Butler was upended landing on his back and got a pelvic contusion on Wednesday when he was hard fouled by Amen Thompson. On Friday Dillion Brooks said Green was a dirty player. Warrior head coach Steve Kerr called the comment “interesting?” Do you expect there to be more bad blood on Wednesday night in game 5 in Houston?
San Francisco 49ers newest running back Mykel Williams is all smiles after being the first round draft pick and the 11th overall. Williams was addressing the media on Fri Apr 25, 2025 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara (AP News photo)
Headline Sports podcast Bruce MacGowan:
#1 Bruce, the San Francisco 49ers made it their mission to get first round draft pick pass rusher Mykel Williams. The 49ers had their eye on Williams but pumped the brakes two seasons ago because Williams had suffered an high ankle sprain. He recovered since and 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan hope to use Williams as a key and core person on the 49ers defense.
#2 The Las Vegas Raiders made a great choice in getting running back Ashton Jeanty as their top pick in the draft. Jeanty was one of the most effective running backs in college football last season at Boise State and Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is confident that Jeanty will end up being the number one running back for the Raiders in the future.
#3 The Las Vegas Review Journal ran a headline that the Athletics still have not come up with the $1.75 billion as the A’s had said in a March 5th Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting that the would have the money and would be ready by June to have shovels in ground. The article questions when will the A’s fund the park and there is a possibility it may not happen.
#4 The Golden State Warriors Jimmy Butler is still questionable for game 4 for Monday night against the Houston Rockets at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Butler who suffered a lower back contusion after getting his legs taken out from beneath him and missed game 3. Can Butler return and be playoff competitive Monday.
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