Tag: Houston Rockets

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors hope to snap losing streak tonight against Houston

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard  Vasilije Micic drives on the Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Nov 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (6-7) lost a real knuckle cracker against the Oklahoma City (8-4) Thunder Saturday night 130-123 in overtime.

#2 Andrew Wiggins had his season high game with 31 points and was the reason that the Warriors had a great chance to win this game.

#3 With 1.6 seconds left on the clock the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren hit an unlikely 25-foot three point shot to tie the game at 117 and drive this game into overtime.

#4 The Warriors were looking forward to ending their five game losing streak only to have it continued with the overtime loss.

#5 Monday night the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors skid hits six; Golden State hosts Houston at Chase tonight

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Vasilije Micic drives on the Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Nov 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (6-7) lost a real knuckle cracker against the Oklahoma City (8-4) Thunder Saturday night 130-123 in overtime.

#2 Andrew Wiggins had his season high game with 31 points and was the reason that the Warriors had a great chance to win this game.

#3 With 1.6 seconds left on the clock the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren hit an unlikely 25-foot three point shot to tie the game at 117 and drive this game into overtime.

#4 The Warriors were looking forward to ending their five game losing streak only to have it continued with the overtime loss.

#5 Monday night the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcasts can be heard with Barbara Mason at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Defeat Blazers 121-118; Monk and Sabonis lead Sac in scoring

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Guard Malik Monk (0) of the Sacramento Kings lets everyone know who the man is after scoring on the Portland Trailblazers forward Jerami Grant (9) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 8, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings were coming off two games in Houston against the upstart Rockets. It was a disappointing show from the Kings on the road as they lost both games to the Rockets. The Kings were boat-raced in both games, losing 107-89 and 122-89.

It was a pathetic showing for the Kings in the Lone Star State as they looked to get back on track on Wednesday. The Kings were set to tip off against the Portland Trailblazers at 7 PM PST. The Kings snapped their losing streak of three games by beating the Blazers 121-118

In the first quarter, the Kings offense looked different than in previous games this season. Coach Mike Brown elected to start Keon Ellis over Davion Mitchell. The decision paid off early, as Keon gave the Kings solid minutes to open the game with stability. Overall, the Kings played well in the first quarter, scoring 34 points with help from an 11-point quarter from Domantas Sobonis. The Blazers scored 29 points in the quarter. 

In the second quarter, the Kings lost the lead. The Kings only scored 22 points in the second. On the other hand, the Blazers scored 31 points in the quarter to build a 60-56 lead over the Kings. Mike Brown was visibly frustrated with the Kings going into halftime. The Kings offense was suffering under missed open shots. If the Kings hoped to win, they needed to hit their open shots in the second half. 

In the third quarter, the Kings played better, but it wasn’t by much. The Kings outscored the Blazers 29-24 in the third quarter to regain the lead going into the game’s final quarter. The Kings leading scorer through three quarters was Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points. The Blazers leading scorer was Jerami Grant, with 25 through three quarters. The score was 85-84 Kings going into the fourth quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, the Kings would play without enough intensity to finish the job. The Kings scored 26 points compared to the Blazers 27 points. The game would come to the end of regulation with the score 111-111. The Kings would need to finish the overtime job if they wanted to snap the losing streak. 

In overtime, the Kings got the job done! The Kings managed to squeak out the win over the Blazers in overtime, outscoring them 10-7. The King received a heroic performance from Malik Monk at the free throw line, crucial to the victory. The Kings leading scorer in victory was Domas Sabonis, who had 27 points. Jerami Grant led the way in defeat for the Blazers with 38 points. 

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 7 PM PST. The contest will count towards the NBA in-season tournament.

Kings Continue Slump Demolished By Rockets 122-97; Houston sweeps two game series

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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (center) struggles with the basketball with the Sacramento Kings forwards Harrison Barnes (40) Keegan Murray (right) at the Toyota Center on Mon Nov 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

There are no words in Webster’s dictionary to describe how terrible this game went for the Sacramento Kings (2-4). It would seem that they are completely helpless without superstar De’Aaron Fox who remains out with the ankle injury.

It would also appear that there are no players that can step up in his absence. That does not bode well for this team. As this game reached the seven minute mark in the fourth quarter it could not have ended quickly enough for these guys. The final score was 122-97 Houston Rockets (3-3) at the Toyota Center in Houston in game 2 of the series.

Monday night the Kings continued to play without superstar De’Aaron Fox taking on the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. He was ruled out hours before tipoff missing his third game in a row. The Kings are missing everything that he brings to the court and are struggling.

The Kings lost to the Rockets on Saturday night, an 18 point loss 107-89, a very embarrassing loss. A big part of the Kings future was thought to be Keegan Murray but he has not shown up so far.

Murray finished the Saturday night game with the Rockets shooting for seven points and going 3-12. His shot is not falling and he is not delivering at all and needs to have more of an impact. Another player not carrying his load is the newly signed Sasha Vezenkov.

The excitement surrounding Vezenkov’s signing has now fallen flat when he scored nada in their last game. While Domantas Sabonis was not awful he was not at his usual best which is roughly 18 points per game.

With Fox still remaining out of action this team has to step up and Sabonis is a huge part of this. Their defense has been stale and they need to add another star to their core. As we have seen early in this season injury can play havoc with a team.

The Kings need Fox who is the heart of their offense. It is early in the season and not the worst time for a team to suffer injury, but that being said, Sacramento does not want to lose a third game in a row.

The opening quarter of Monday night’s game went very poorly for the Kings. They lost the first quarter 32-22. It really went sideways in the second quarter with the Rockets topping the Kings 35-20 taking a 67-42 lead into the locker room at the half. The first half of this game was a disaster for Sacramento but unfortunately the worst was still to come.

After three quarters the writing was pretty much on the wall. It was a horrific showing by the Kings. It could not have been any worse with some lackluster shooting and terrible defense allowing the Rockets to walk all over them.

The starters were MIA for the first three quarters. Harrison Barnes had three points after three quarters, Davion Mitchell had five, Domantas Sabonis with eight points. It was a nightmare. Even the energetic Malik Monk off the bench only managed five points. After three quarters Houston had a 95-60 lead in a monster embarrassment. It was like taking candy from a baby for Houston in this lopsided game.

The fourth quarter was more of the same and early in the final quarter the Rockets had taken a forty point lead 107-67. If you think that Saturday night’s loss was an embarrassment think again. The Kings did win the fourth quarter but this game was a done deal at half time. The Kings came around in the fourth quarter winning the quarter 37-25. The final was 122-97.

Wednesday night the Kings will take on the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center. Hopefully the crowd can get this team energized and an even more importantly get Fox back on the court.

The Kings, of course, does not want to put Fox back on the court until he is completely ready. They cannot afford to risk further injury to Fox’s ankle. This team is going through some discouraging times and they need to pull it all together and come out the other side. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings Dismantled By Rockets 107-89; Sacramento and Houston match up for game 2 Monday night at the Toyota Center

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The Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (left) drives on the Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (right) at the Toyota Center in Houston in game 1 of the two game series on Sat Nov 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings had an opportunity in the second and third quarters of Saturday nights game despite the absence of De’Aaron Fox still out with an ankle injury. In fact they were down by three points mid-way through the fourth quarter. They were unable to contain the Rockets Dillon Brooks, in the later minutes of the final quarter, who sailed through the fourth quarter scoring 12 points beating the Kings 107-89.

Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (2-3) took on the Houston Rockets (2-3) at Toyota Center. The Kings played without their star Fox who was ruled out for a second game in a row with a moderate right ankle sprain. The injury occurred in the overtime win last Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers. It doesn’t stop there, the Kings is also without Trey Lyles. Lyles has not yet made his regular season debut after suffering a left calf strain in the preseason.

Playing without Fox made it difficult and the starting lineup had to step up in his absence. They certainly did exactly that in their last game against the Golden State Warriors losing in the final 0.2 seconds of the game by a single point 102-101.

Game recap: The Rockets smothered the Kings in the first 12 minutes of play 33-19. Sacramento did win the second quarter but still trailed at the half 59-53. The Kings did cut their deficit but still had some ground to make up.

Sacramento continued their bid in the third quarter winning it 15-12 and only trailed by three points going into the fourth quarter 71-68. The Rockets Dillon Brooks had an amazing fourth quarter as Houston beat the Kings badly in the final quarter 36-21 winning the game 107-89.

This was a real disappointment for Sacramento. They have had a very lukewarm start this season. They had a lot of trouble containing Brooks in this game who finished with 26 points, 12 of them coming in the fourth quarter. The Kings did pull to within three points with 8 1/2 minutes remaining when Malik Monk hit a shot from downtown. It was at this point that the Rockets went on a 10-2 run and they never looked back.

Monk finished with the high for the team with 18 points off the bench. The only starters who had double digits were Domantas Sabonis who had a double double with 11 points and 15 rebounds and Harrison Barnes who finished with 13 points. Keegan Murray, Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter had a very quiet night.

The Kings will get another shot at the Rockets hoping to even the score on Monday night with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 PM PST at the Toyota Center in Houston. This will be game 2 of this two game series.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings and Warriors have seen each other 11 times out of their last 17 games

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Sacramento Kings guard Colby Jones (right) drives on Golden State Warriors forward Dario Saric (left) and forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Nov 3 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings have met 11 times including pre season games in their last 17 meetings. That gives them enough time to know each other.

#2 Jeremiah Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that amount of meetings has to be an NBA record. It gave each team familiarity resulting in a one point win for Golden State on Wednesday night at Chase Center 102-101.

#3 Golden State’s Klay Thompson hit a 17 foot shot with less than a second remaining to win the game. Jeremiah talk about that shot by Thompson it was a tough loss for the Kings as they played their hearts out as described by Kings head coach Mike Brown.

#4 Jeremiah, with the lose the Kings drop to 2-2 getting great offensive production from Domantas Sobonis who led Sacramento with 23 points. Sobonis has been a difference for the Kings in crucial games.

#5 Kings will go back to the drawing board and face the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sat Nov 4 which will be the first of a two game series the other game on Mon Nov 6. The Rockets won their last game defeating the Charlotte Hornets 128-119.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors out pace Rockets for second road win

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The Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) goes for the hoops being defended by the Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (left) and forward Kevin Looney (right) at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sun Oct 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Houston Rockets are a much better team than they were last season and will no doubt win more than 22 games. They hung tight with the Golden State Warriors until the fourth quarter.

#2 That is when Warriors guard Stephen Curry went nuts hitting four three’s in a row in the fourth and locked down this win for the Warriors 106-95.

#3 The Golden State Warriors (2-1) took on the Houston Rockets (0-3) Sunday evening with a full roster which included the long awaited return of Draymond Green. 

#4 The Warriors on the road played their second road game of the young season after beating the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center 122-114 last Friday night. They got road win number two.

#5 The Warriors continue on the road next traveling to Smoothie King Center to take on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM PT.

Barbara Mason does the Golden State Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Curry’s Four Threes in a Row Pushes Golden State Past Rockets 106-95

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) tries to keep the ball away from the Houston Rockets guard Fred VanFleet (left) at the Houston Toyota Center in Houston on Sun Oct 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Houston Rockets are a much better team than they were last season and will no doubt win more than 22 games. They hung tight with the Golden State Warriors until the fourth quarter. That is when Warriors guard Stephen Curry went nuts hitting four three’s in a row in the fourth and locked down this win for the Warriors 106-95.

The Golden State Warriors (2-1) took on the Houston Rockets (0-3) Sunday evening with a full roster which included the long awaited return of Draymond Green. His return had been changing hourly it seemed but it finally arrived in today’s game. The Warriors on the road played their second road game of the young season after beating the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center 122-114 last Friday night. They got road win number two.

The Warriors won both quarters in the first half, leading after two 57-47. Golden State won the opening quarter 26-24, a close one. Golden State put some distance in this game at the half winning the second quarter 31-23. There was of course, after so much time away from the game, the question of how much time Green would play. It was minimal, 21 minutes by game’s end.

The Rockets continued to hang in this game winning the third quarter 28-24. The game got very interesting in the final quarter. The Rockets tied up the game with 8:30 left in the game 85-85 and Houston took the lead 87-85 at 6:42. Houston refused to go away.

At 5:09 the Curry show got underway and when all was said and done he had shot four three’s in a row in an amazing display. The fourth three amazed even Curry himself.

Golden State began to distance themselves from the Rockets 102-93 with less than a minute left on the clock and the Warriors would win their second road game in a row 106-95. It is of course early in the season but considering their road record last year these two road wins are a thing of beauty.

The Warriors displayed what they are best know for, ball movement and player movement. It was not a great first three quarters for Curry until the fourth quarter came along. He finished with 24 points and seven rebounds and of course the four shots from downtown in the fourth quarter shut down the Rockets eliminating any hope for a Houston win.

Klay Thompson was hot in the opening quarters which kept the Warriors in the game. He had 19 points and four rebounds. Gary Payton 11 was also instrumental in the first half finishing with 15 points and three rebounds.

This is the hallmark of Golden State; when one player is slow to start there is always that player that “steps up to the plate” and in this game it was the combination of Thompson and Gary Payton 11.

The welcomed return of Green was just another highlight seeing him for the first time this season. He had four points and five rebounds demonstrating what he does so well, setting up shots for the team.

Head Coach Steve Kerr was pleased with Green’s effort in this game. He was a bit shaky in the first half but came on strong in the second half especially the third quarter. As Kerr put it “it will take some time to shake the rust off.” With this being the first time he has played all season it was all in all a nice effort.

The high score for the Rockets came from Jalen Green with 21 points. Jalen Green also had a great defensive game finishing with 9 rebounds. This was Houston’s third loss in a row not yet having won a game this season.

The Warriors continue on the road next traveling to Smoothie King Center to take on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Can Warriors put together two wins in row on the road tonight?

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket as Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. defends during the second half at the Toyota Center in Houston on Mon Mar 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 Dave, the long road to the Golden State Warriors 11 game losing streak on the road mercifully ended on Monday night in Houston with a victory. What would you say was the Warriors top reasons for just not being able to win games on the road.

#2 The Warriors first three quarters against the Rockets saw plenty of turnovers and the Rockets took advantage of Warrior turnovers and taking them to the rim for slam dunks which they put on quite a display. The Warriors Stephen Curry in the third quarter came to the rescue scoring 15 of his 30 points but teammate Jordan Poole fell on Curry’s leg and Curry had to leave the game. The Warriors regrouped in the fourth quarter to put away the Rockets.

#3 The Warriors finish off this road trip tonight in Dallas against the Dallas Mavericks (36-36). The Mavericks always a tough place for the Warriors to play, can the Warriors get that second consecutive road win tonight against Mark Cuban and the Mavericks?

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

Golden State Warriors game wrap: 11 game road skid is over; Warriors Get Hot in Fourth Beat Rockets 121-108

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) shoots as Houston Rockets’ Usman Garuba (16) defends during the second half at the Toyota Center in Houston on Mon Mar 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Get Hot in Fourth Beat Rockets 121-108

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Golden State Warriors (37-36) took on the Rockets 18-54) in Houston at the Toyota Center and came away with a 121-108. The Rockets sit at the bottom of the Western Conference but have beaten some very good teams of late they even had a three winning steak before losing to the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday 117-107 . The Warriors have everything to play for with playoff ramifications at risk. They do not want to have to play in so the win tonight was an additional must win.

The Warriors had a decent start but could not put much distance between themselves and the Rockets. Golden State won the opening quarter 26-21 but the second quarter was dead even at 29. The Warriors had a slim lead at the half 55-50.

The third quarter was a good one for the Rockets. This game was tied for much of the first half of the quarter. Houston refused to go away and with under six minutes left in the third had taken the lead 69-67. Both Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole got banged up in the quarter and Curry actually left the floor taking a breather on the bench.

The Warriors were unable to take any kind of a significant lead. The turnovers were mounting with 17 through three quarters. The Warriors led 84-80 after three. Houston did win the third quarter 30-29 and every starter for Houston had double digits.

The Warriors went on a nice run in the fourth quarter and two minutes into the quarter had a 95-87 lead. At 8:55 the Warriors had their biggest lead of the night 98-87. Golden State continued to extend their lead and with Curry back on the floor took a 102-89 lead.

With just over three minutes left in the quarter, the Rockets had pulled to within ten points 111-101. The Warriors went on a tear in the final minutes winning the game and snapping an 11 game road skid. This was the fourth win over Houston without a loss this season.

The Warriors won this game despite the 20 turnovers that resulted in 25 Rocket points. Curry finished with 30 points and Klay Thompson was right behind him with 29. Jonathan Kuminga had 17 off the bench. This was a badly needed win for Golden State with only 10 games left in the season.

On Wednesday night the Warriors will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.