New York Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns smiles after committing a foul in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York during game 2 in the second round of the NBA Playoffs on Thu May 7, 2026 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast David Zizmor:
#1 Dave,how surprised are you that the New York Knicks who beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 on Wednesday night as the Knicks move up 2-0. Can the Knicks keep this moving and win the series?
#2 The Detroit Pistons get a 107-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and take a 2-0 lead. The Pistons Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points and Cunningham was the most essential part of the Pistons success in game 2.
#3 Three core scorers for the Oklahoma City Thunder Chet Holmgren, AJay Mitchell and Shea Gilgeous. were key in the Thunder’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 as the Thunder take a 2-0 lead.
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) takes a shot over the Los Angeles Lakers center DeAndre Ayton (25) as Ajay Mitchell (25) looks on in the first half of game 1 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Tue May 5, 2026 (AP News photo)
NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson:
#1 How did the absence of Luka Dončić impact the Lakers’ offensive performance in Game 1?
#2 What adjustments did the Thunder make after halftime that allowed them to pull away from the Lakers?
#3 How significant was Chet Holmgren’s performance in establishing Oklahoma City’s dominance in Game 1?
#4 In what ways did turnovers and shooting efficiency contribute to the Lakers’ 108–90 loss?
#5 Considering the Thunder swept the Lakers in the regular season, what does Game 1 reveal about the gap between these two teams?
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 guard Luca Doncic (77) takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) in the first half at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Mar 1, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (14-48) pulled to within ten points of the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter before the Los Angeles Lakers (36-25) waltzed away with this game with a 128-104 win Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Luca Doncic finished with the game high of 28 points. The second half was no contest with the Lakers dominating. The Kings Nique Clifford had a terrific game with 26 points and seven rebounds and Maxime Raynaud had a double double, 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Game recap: The Lakers dominated the first quarter outscoring the Kings 36-18. Sacramento was struggling from the start but they did turn things around significantly in the second quarter outscoring the Lakers 31-28. Los Angeles at one time in the first half had a 22 point lead but the Kings cut that lead down to 15 64-49 at the half. The Kings got off to a slow start but had a solid second quarter of play.
At the half, Russell Westbrook had 12 points and Nique Clifford also had a good half of basketball with ten. They were the only two Kings in double digits. DeMar DeRozan had a sluggish first half scoring only four points as did Maxime Raynaud also with four points although he did have seven rebounds. They had made up some ground in the later minutes of the second quarter and were looking to continue to cut into the Laker lead in the third quarter.
Deandre Ayton, Austin Reeves and of course Doncic were all dominating in the first half and the Kings would have to continue to push in the second half.
The Kings took their hot finish in the first half into the third quarter. At 8:32 the Kings trailed by ten points 68-58 as they continued to try and climb back into this game. When it started to look promising the Lakers ran their lead back up to 19, 81-62 and took the third quarter away.
We got to see the magic touch of Doncic finishing off the third quarter scoring 28 points. He was ten of 16 from the floor and four of eight from downtown. Clifford was having a terrific game scoring 22 points with five rebounds. Los Angeles took a 20 point lead 96-76 into the fourth quarter.
LeBron James dazzled to start the fourth quarter as Los Angeles took a 105-81 lead their largest of the game. At 6:20 the Lakers were completely dominating on both ends of the court and Sacramento was getting clobbered 118-91. Los Angeles was all smiles in the second half of the quarter with the apparent win looming. In the final four minutes of the game, the Lakers had emptied their bench.
The high score for the Kings was Clifford who had a great game finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. Raynaud had a double double, 16 points and 13 rebounds. DeRozan never really got going in this game finishing with nine points and four rebounds.
Four of the Laker starters finished in double figures with Doncic the high for the game with 28 points and five rebounds. Both Doncic and LeBron James left the game for much of the fourth quarter letting the bench finish the game.
Game notes: The Kings continued their road trip after beating the Dallas Mavericks last Thursday night 130-121. Sunday night the Kings lost to the sixth place Lakers. The Lakers welcomed back Russell Westbrook who formerly played with Los Angeles. Westbrook finished with 14 points and started along with DeRozan, Raynaud, Clifford and Precious Ashiuwa.
The Lakers with Sunday’s win take a 3-1 series lead . The Kings did beat them back on January 12, 124-113. Los Angeles have now won two games against the Kings. There were no injuries noted for the Lakers going into the game and they were at full strength. Sacramento faced another challenge with a lop-sided, short-handed roster going into Sunday’s game.
Tuesday night the Kings will face the seventh place team in the Western Conference. Sunday night’s game will end this current road trip and the Kings will be back at Golden 1 Arena as they face the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 8:00 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 (23) takes a shot at the basket while being defended by the Golden State Warriors center Al Holford (20) in the first half at Chase Center on Sat Feb 28, 2026 (AP News photo)
Mediocerity is the word for the Warriors
By Amaury Pi-González
The Warriors walked into March with a 31-29 record, occupying the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Their next five games are against the Clippers, Rockets, Thunder, Jazz, and Bulls. How this team is going to finish is anybody’s guess.
They just lost a game at Chase Center against the 41-year-old LeBron James, Lakers 129-101. Jimmy Butler is out for the season with a torn ACL. It typically takes 6-12 months for a full return, with 9 to 12 months for professional athletes to regain their full strength.
Stephen Curry also injured is missing games of late. His Right knee has patellofemoral pain syndrome (Runner’s Knee). When asked about the injury, he said one word,” weird.” Other Warriors medical situation, Seth Curry (sciatica) and the Jonathan Porzings saga is a totally disaster.
With just 22 games left, it doesn’t look like the Warriors are going to improve all of a sudden, even the postseason is at best a 50-50 proposition. They are currently sitting in the Western Conference’s eighth spot, aiming to avoid the play-in tournament and secure a top-six seed.
Just like the Giants, who play a few blocks away from Chase Center, the Warriors had a great run of championships winning in in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Every team suffers injuries; the Warriors are not alone; however, this season has always looked, to use Steph Curry’s previous word, “weird”.
Quote: “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.” -Magic Johnson
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (left) shoots around Dallas Mavericks Dwight Powell (right) in the first half at American Airlines in Dallas on Thu Feb 27, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Can Zach LaVine is out for the season but could he have carried the scoring load against the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense and outduel LeBron James in key offensive possessions?
#2 How much will someone like Domantas Sabonis’ be missed out of the line up against a team like the Lakers.
#3 Will Malik Monk’s shooting from beyond the arc provide Sacramento with the spacing they need to keep pace with the Lakers’ perimeter defenders?
#4 Prescious Achiuwa how do you see him matching up against the Lakers on Sunday?
#5 How might Nique Clifford’s energy and defense influence the bench’s ability to slow down the Lakers’ second units?
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 (23) takes the ball away from the Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (left) and forward Doug McDermott (7) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Dec 29, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
1 The Kings came into this game against the Los Angeles Lakers (20-10) Sunday night on a winning note and were looking to try and make it two in a row. This would be a major challenge for the Sacramento Kings (8-24) having to contain not one but two superstars the King LeBron James along with Luka Doncic.
2 Both teams came into this game short-handed but it was Sacramento who suffered the most with three starters unable to play in this game. How did this impact the game.
3 Luka Doncic along with LeBron James ruled the court from start to finish breaking the Kings from the get-go. They were both unstoppable.
4 Sacramento played catch-up the entire game, completely overwhelmed by the Lakers. Not only the Los Angeles starters impacted the game but also bench player Nick Smith Jr who had a banner day.
5 Next up for the Kings will be a another north vs south clash taking on the Clippers (10-21) Tuesday night. How will the Kings bounce back after this disappointing game last night.
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 Luka Donic (77) takes a fade away shot against the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) and guard Keon Ellis (23) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Dec 29, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
Sunday night the Sacramento Kings (8-24) took on the los Angeles Lakers (20-10). This game was fairly close after the first quarter but the Lakers continued to extend their lead as the game wore on.
The final was 125-101 a total domination by the Lakers. Los Angeles had as much as a 30 point lead in the game and Luka Doncic was unstoppable finishing with 34 points. The Kings played catch-up the entire game. The high scorer for the Kings tonight was DeMar DeRozan with 22 points.
Game recap: The Lakers got after it in the opening quarter of the game leading after the first 12 minutes of play 30-24. At halftime, the Lakers continued to extend their lead. They outscored the Kings 38-29 in the second quarter taking a 68-53 lead into the locker at the half.
Their 15 point lead at the half was their largest lead of the game so far. Luka Doncic was presenting all sorts of problems for Sacramento scoring 24 points in the opening half. LeBron James had 12 points and between James and Doncic were doing a fair amount of the heaving lifting.
Going into the second half, the Kings had to find a way to contain both James and Doncic. Sacramento’s percentage from the line was not at all impressive shooting at 67% especially since the Lakers were hitting 89% of their free throws.
Turnovers had been a problem for the Kings in the opening half already with 11 compared to the Lakers clean play with only four turnovers. The Lakers were cleaning up in the paint as well. Los Angeles was also dominating from beyond the arc. The Kings had a lot of work to do in the second half of this game and having to operate so terribly short-handed it would be an epic challenge for the team. The only Sacramento player in double digits in the first half was DeMar DeRozan.
This game continued on the same path in the third quarter with the Lakers pushing their lead further and further out. Four minutes into the quarter the Lakers had a 26-point lead 81-55. The Kings were so far behind the eight ball chances for a second win in a row were just about extinguished.
The Lakers continued to maintain at least a 20-point lead throughout the third quarter. Los Angeles had a vice-like grip on this game and showed little signs of letting up. With Doncic taking his 31 points into the fourth quarter he was dominating the game. The Lakers outscored the Kings in the third quarter 31-27 taking a 99-80 lead into the fourth.
The Lakers cruised through the fourth quarter taking as much as a 30 point lead. They outscored the Kings in the final quarter 23-19 and that was the ball game. The final was 125-101 in favor of Los Angeles. Luka Doncic finished the game with 34 points; he was unstoppable and alongside LeBron who had 24 points they simply dominated from start to finish. The Laker’s Nick Smith Jr. had a banner day off the bench scoring 21 points in 23 minutes. His play certainly impacted this game.
The Kings with their bevy of injured starters struggled from start to finish. They fell further and further behind with each quarter. DeMar DeRozan had the high for the team with 22 points. Maxime Raynaud had a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, certainly a bright spot in this game. Three bench players finished the game with 11 points apiece. Dennis Schroeder, Malik Monk and Nique Glifford accounted for 33 points of the 43 scored off the bench.
Game notes: After beating the Mavericks 113-107 Saturday night at home, the Kings jetted off to Los Angeles for a game against the Lakers (20-10) Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena. This was a rough game for Sacramento having to contain not only LeBron James but also Luka Doncic and a host of offensive weapons in Dennis Ayton, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura.
The Kings were really short-handed with Domantas Sabonis (Meniscus tear), Zach LaVine (left ankle sprain), Keegan Murray (right calf strain) and Devon Carter (left ankle sprain). This is nothing new for the Kings in fact the Kings has not played at full-strength all season.
Murray missed a slew of games to start the season and he is now out for more than likely a month. The Kings have been battling injury all season and along with less than stellar play on the court this team will no doubt look a whole lot different after the trade deadline has come and gone.
The Lakers will be missing the play of Austin Reeves expected to miss a month out with a left calf strain. The Lakers starting roster Saturday night still presented a major challenge for Sacramento.
Next up for the Kings will be this coming Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite having a 10-23 record, the Clippers are highly favored. Until the Sacramento Kings can get on court without more than half of their starters out, this is going to be a rough road to traverse. Tipoff for this game is a late one scheduled for 8:00 PM PT.
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.
LeBron James (left) and Bronny James (right) watch a game this season. LeBron is out with a sciatic nerve on his right side and has missed all 13 Lakers games this season but could be returning soon according to reports as he’s been rehabbing in the G League (AP file photo)
NBA podcast Charlie O:
#1 Sciatica on his right side is keeping LeBron James out of the game for the Los Angeles Lakers he’s missed 13 games so far?
#2 Willie Green former New Orleans Pelicans head coach was fired Nov 15 following a 2-10 start to the season, marking the first coaching change of the 2025-26 campaign?
#3 Stephen Curry scored 49 points and delivered the win for the Golden State Warriors 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs Friday?
#4 With LaMelo Ball upgraded to “probable” for his return from an injury, he’ll be back with the Charlotte Hornets and he and the Hornets will face the Toronto Raptors Mon Nov 17?
#5 Ex NBA player Patrick Beverley facing assault after his recent arrest, Beverly found his sister with a man in the middle of the night and was concerned. Beverly was accused of felony assault.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) gets hit with a foul while driving to the hoop against the Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) in first half action at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Oct 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 How did the Kings Domantas Sabonis impact the game in terms of rebounding and inside scoring, and did the Kings get enough production from him down the stretch?
#2 With the Kings Zach LaVine listed as questionable due to illness, did he play and how did his level of play affect the Kings’ offensive rhythm?
#3 How effective was the Kings Russell Westbrook in his role — did he provide the veteran leadership and playmaking the Kings hoped for?
#4 Did the Kings get a meaningful contribution from DeMar DeRozan, and how did his performance compare to expectations in this game?
#5 Given the Kings allowed 127 points, what defensive breakdowns or weak matchups stood out, and which Kings player(s) were primarily responsible for trying (but perhaps failing) to stop the Lakers’ attack?
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.
Sports Radio Service 