Photo credit: @Lakers
By Jerry Feitelberg
SAN JOSE — The Los Angeles Lakers, who were without LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, rallied in the second half to down the Golden State Warriors 119-105 at SAP Center on Friday night.
The Warriors did not play Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala. Steph Curry played the first period for Golden State and was done for the night. Klay Thompson did not play in the second half. Draymond Green, who had not played since September 29th, saw 14 minutes of action and scored just one point.
Curry played most of the first quarter and tallied 16 points, including four three-point shots. He looked as if he was in mid-season form. Thompson finished the night with 21, and he looked ready to go. The Warriors won the first half by 13 (67-54). Damian Jones had a good first half as he knocked down 15 and appears to be the starting center for the Warriors until DeMarcus Cousins is ready to play.
The second half belonged to the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma was on fire as he and Svi Mykhailuk led the Lakers to a comeback win as they outscored the Warriors 61-38. The Warriors used Draymond Green in the third quarter and Shaun Livingston in the fourth quarter. The rest of the players were trying to show the Warriors’ coaching staff that they belonged in the NBA. The Warriors will have to make decisions soon on which players will start the season in Oakland and who will be assigned to the G-League.
Game Notes: The Warriors still have not agreed to a contract with Patrick McCaw. McCaw would be starting his third season with the Warriors, and he could help this year’s edition. There are question marks regarding Damian Jones, Jordan Bell, Jacob Evans, Jonas Jerebko, and Marcus Derrickson.
The Big Four consisting of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green are set. Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, and Quinn Cook will make up the second unit.
Up Next: The Warriors open the season at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm PDT versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Moreover, the Warriors’ championship banner will be unfurled, and the players will receive their championship rings.
Photo credit: @warriors
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Los Angeles Lakers were able to hold off the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors 123-113 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. It was the Warriors’ third preseason game, and they suffered their second loss in a row. The Warriors were missing All-Star forward Draymond Green with a sore knee, and DeMarcus Cousins was not available as he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury.
The Warriors lost two big men over the off-season. Zaza Pachulia went to the Detroit Pistons, and JaVale McGee became an LA Laker. Head coach Steve Kerr has to hope that Damien Jones and Kevon Looney will be able to do the job until Cousins is ready to play.
With LeBron James on board, the Lakers will no longer be a pushover for the Warriors. LeBron played the first half and was in mid-season form as he scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists in the first half. The Warriors won the first quarter 34-31, but the Lakers outscored them 30-23 in the second period to finish the first half with a 61-57 lead. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant each scored 18 to pace the Warrior attack.
Curry, Durant and Klay Thompson saw action in the third quarter, but left the game midway through the period. Kerr used his bench players the rest of the way, but they were not able to catch the Lakers. The Lakers were paced by Ingram in the third quarter, and he finished the night with26 points. The Lakers outscored Golden State 41-35 in the third period, and the Warriors won the fourth quarter 21-20.
Notes: Steph Curry was sharp as he netted 23 points and recorded five assists, but had five turnovers. Klay scored 18. Durant ended the night with 18. Durant also fouled out midway through the third quarter.
Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 26. Kentavius Caldwell-Pope tallied 20. Kyle Kuzma, who came off the bench, knocked down 22 in 24 minutes. Lonzo Ball saw 23 minutes of action, but scored just seven points. Lance Stephenson helped out the Lakers with 12.
Up Next: The Warriors finish the preseason Friday night when they play the Lakers again. This time, the venue will be the SAP Center in San Jose.
The regular season starts on Tuesday, October 16th at Oracle Arena when the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Game time will be at 7:30 pm PT.
By Charlie O. Mallonee
Thursday night was an exciting night for NBA starved basketball fans in Sacramento. The Kings traveled to Los Angeles to take on King James and the Lakers in a preseason affair. The keyword in that sentence is “preseason.”
The number one goal in a preseason game is not to win. Now, these are professional athletes, and they hate to lose at anything, anytime. However, the preseason is about getting players working together, learning the playbook, seeing how different combinations play as a unit, and deciding who make the open spots on the roster.
Understanding those parameters explains the final score of 128-123 with the Lakers coming out on top. There were moments where defense came into play, but it certainly did not look like the type of defense you will see in the regular season. No one wants to go into the regular season battered and bruised.
Kings
Lakers
In typical preseason fashion, there were 24 lead changes in the contest and the game was tied 12 times.
Up Next
The Kings will be back on the floor Friday night in Seattle to take on the Golden State Warriors. The Seattle fans will be anxious to see Kevin Durant. They will also have a chance to see a Kings team that almost moved to Seattle.
The Lakers host the Clippers on Saturday night.
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Sacramento — The inaugural California Classic NBA basketball showcase began play on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The six-game classic is an opportunity for the four teams to prepare for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Breaking news almost overshadowed the games
As the Warriors and Heat were preparing for the first game of the evening’s doubleheader, news broke that former Sacramento Kings star and current free agent DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins had signed a one-year, $5.3-million contract with the Golden State Warriors.
There was a definite buzz that came over the arena as news of the signing spread among the fans. Leave it to “Boogie” to try and steal the Kings thunder.
The good news — it did not take long for the fans to forget about Cousins and start concentrating on basketball.
Kings two “Dukies” made their debut in front of the hometown crowd
The Kings number one draft pick (number two overall) Marvin Bagley III was one of the starting forwards versus the Lakers in the second game on Monday night. He was joined on the front line by center and former Duke player Harry Giles III. Giles was “redshirted” last season while he completed bi-lateral rehabilitation.
The number two lottery selection in the NBA Draft is expected to be an immediate impact player, so the near-sellout crowd was ready to Bagley perform right from the opening tip. The word about Giles and his performance in workouts was so positive that many fans could not wait to see him in actual competition.
The two former Blue Devils did not disappoint.
Bagley III scored his first points at 6:58 in the first quarter when he hit a seven-foot fadeaway shot. Giles III got into the act 24-seconds later when he finished a fastbreak with a layup off an assist from Frank Mason. Giles started the fastbreak opportunity when blocked a 3-point shot attempt by Moritz Wagner.
Not to be outdone, Bagley III came back seconds later with a monster dunk on a fastbreak of his own. About a minute later, Bagley would sink a 26-foot 3-point shot. Yes, the big home crowd was going wild.
Frankly, my focus for the majority of the game was on Bagley III and Giles III. We had not had a chance to see the two players in action and this was a chance to really focus on their skills.
What did we learn about Harry Giles III?
First, Harry Giles III is a very tough, physical player. After being out for an entire season, there was a possibility he could have been a bit cautious getting back into action. The exact opposite happened. Giles looked like a man who was hungry to get into action and mix it up.
Giles III played physical with and without the ball. He left no doubt that he was on the floor for any Laker that had to play against him on Monday night. Giles III committed six personal fouls (players get 10 this time of year) in the game and some of them were very physical.
Giles III scored 13 points shooting 6-for-10 from the floor. He hit 1-of-2 3-point shots. Even though he played a very physical game, Giles III did not go to the free throw line once in 25-minutes of playing time. He grabbed three rebounds, had one steal and one blocked shot.
It was a nice professional debut for Mr. Giles III.
Marvin Bagley III is going to be a tough guy on the court
The Kings top draft choice made his presence known early in the game. He is not shy. Bagley III is into the game and very demonstrative about it. He is very active on the floor and does not appear to have any fear about mixing it up with opposing players.
At one point in the game, Bagley III made a move to the basket leading with his right shoulder. He did not make the shot but did go to the line to shoot free throws. The defender was left clutching his chest in pain after taking “the bump” to clear him out before Bagley III made his move to the hoop.
Bagley III posted 18 points in just under 26 minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-11 overall and hit 1-of-2 from downtown. Bagley — who has not been know as a great free throw shooter — went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also hauled in six rebounds and blocked three shots.
In his first professional game, Marvin Bagley III performed as advertised, and that is a good thing.
Oh by the way … the Kings won the game
The Kings beat the Lakers 98-93 on Monday night. It is important to remember that the rosters of these teams are made up of first-year players, rookies, G-League players and undrafted free agents. These are young players that the teams want to get experience plus players they may be considering for “two-way” contracts or for their G-League teams.
De’Aaron Fox — who will not play in the Las Vegas Tournament — was the leading scorer for Sacramento. He recorded 23 points, had eight rebounds, dished out six assists and made three steals. Fox shot 9-for-15 from the field but went just 1-for-6 from long-range. He went to the free throw line six times and converted five of those opportunities.
Frank Mason also had a very good game for SAC scoring 16 points. He hit 4-of-7 shooting and sank 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Mason also took advantage of the free throw line dropping in 6-of-7 shots from the line.
The Lakers were led by Moritz Wagner and Josh Hart who each scored 23 points in the contest. Svi Mykhalliuk added 15 points of his own.
This contest also featured two technical fouls charged to the Lakers. A Flagrant 1 Foul charged to Frank Mason and an ejection to one of the Lakers leading scorers — John Hart.
These young players have a great deal on the line, so they are willing to play with reckless abandon.
Golden State vs. Miami
The Heat and the Warriors played in the first game of the doubleheader on Monday night. Golden State won the game 79-68. Kendrick Nunn led the Warriors scoring attack with 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Derrick Jones, Jr. was the leading scorer for the Heat and the game. He also recorded a double-double posting 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The schedule for Tuesday night
The Lakers and Heat will faceoff at 6:00 PM. The Warriors and the Kings will meet in the nightcap will tip-off at approximately 8:00 PM.
Photo credit: @LakersNation
By: Ana Kieu
As if the addition of LeBron James wasn’t enough, the Los Angeles Lakers continued to fill out a new supporting cast around the Akron, Ohio, native with free agent center JaVale McGee, who reportedly agreed to a one-year, $2.4 million minimum deal, according to league sources who told ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
McGee last played for the Golden State Warriors, where he won two back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. Before joining the winning squad, the Flint, Mich., native played for the Dallas Mavericks from 2015-16, Philadelphia 76ers in 2015, Denver Nuggets from 2012-15 and Washington Wizards from 2008-2012.
McGee was initially drafted 18th overall by the Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft. He played college basketball at the University of Nevada, Reno, from 2006-08.
nba.com photo: LeBron James as a Laker in painted form is up for a four year stint with the Lakers
By Joe Hawkes Beamon and Jerry Feitelberg
The much anticipated moment is over as predicted LeBron James has signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers as the Lakers try to light the fuse on a franchise that has lagged since superstar Kobe Bryant retired. The Lakers have not been in the playoffs since 2013.
James, who has played most of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will leave the team for the second time the first time was when he left for the Miami Heat. LeBron will be entering his 16th NBA season with three NBA Championship rings and four MVPs under his belt. LeBron is confident he can help establish some headway with the Lakers to make them great again.
After this last season’s Championship Final against Golden State, James looked to cry “Uncle” and wanted a change of scenery and looks at the Lakers as an organization that will build toward an NBA Championship Finals team. James makes L.A. his offseason home.
The Lakers are a young team the average player’s age is 25, James (33) will almost be like a player-coach with the young guys on the floor but he will seek assurances from the Lakers organization to get two or three veterans to make that extra push to get the Lakers to be a deep playoff team.
With the signing of James, Kawhi Leonard has expressed interest in joining the Lakers after he said he was no longer going to play for the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard could very well be one of the key building blocks the Lakers are looking towards in getting some experience on their roster.
Joe Hawkes Beamon and Jerry Feitelberg cover the NBA for http://www.sportsradioservice.com
by Charlie O. Mallonee
The odds were against the Kings on Sunday night in Los Angeles. Sacramento had played at home on Saturday and lost to the World Champion Golden State Warriors. The chances of winning the second game of a back-to-back set on the road drop significantly in “the Association”.
Evidently, the Kings did not read any of the oddsmaker’s sites before the game because they played like they were favorites to win the game on Sunday and win they did.
With the game tied at 80 all with 39.6-seconds remaining in the game, Buddy Hield stole the ball from Caldwell-Pope. Hield finished off the fastbreak opportunity with a dunk that gave the Kings an 82-80 lead.
On the next possession, Bogdanovic made another steal when the Lakers Alex made a bad pass. The Kings set up the offense and De’Aaron Fox drove the lane putting up a seven-foot floating jump shot that gave Sacramento a four-point lead. The Lakers called an immediate timeout stopping the clock with 9.7-seconds remaining to play.
Out of the timeout, Caldwell-Pope missed a 23-foot 3-point attempt that was rebounded by Josh Hart. The ball was passed to Brooke Lopez who hit a 26-foot jumper to cut the Kings lead to just one point. Lopez immediately committed a foul to stop the clock with two-tenths of a second to go in the game but the Lakers would never regain possession.
The Kings won the game 84-83.
Top Performances
Kings (25-53)
Lakers (33-43)
Up Next
Sacramento
The Kings second stop this final road trip of the season will be in Phoenix on Tuesday night. This will a battle of Draft Lottery Teams. The Suns lost to the Warriors on Easter Sunday 117-107 and have now lost 15 games in a row.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers will travel to Salt Lake City to face the playoff-bound Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
If the 2018 NBA Draft would be held today
Who would the Kings draft is they had to select today? According to Tankathon. com, Sacramento would have the number six selection and they would use it to take Freshman center Mohamed Bamba out of Texas. Bamba is a 7-footer who weighs 216 pounds. He will be 20 years old at the time of the draft.
Bamba played in 30 games averaging 12.9 points per game and 10.5 rebounds a game. He averaged blocking 3.6 shots per game. Bamba his known for being an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor as well as an excellent shot blocker. He is also a strong defender against the 3-point shot.
Photo credit: @warriors
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Golden State Warriors faced a daunting task Wednesday night at Oracle Arena as they were facing the rapidly improving Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had won 20 out of the last 29 games played and are on the upswing. The Lakers’ Isaiah Thomas made his first start at guard since being acquired at the trade deadline.
The Warriors were missing Steph Curry (sprained ankle), Draymond Green (shoulder injury), Klay Thompson (fractured right thumb), David West (infected cyst), and Patrick McCaw (broken wrist). Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had his work cut out for to send out a revamped lineup to deal with the Lakers.
The Warriors responded as they had seven players in double figures and their bench outscored the Laker bench 39-22 as they beat the Lakers 117-106.
The Warriors started Kevin Durant, Zaza Pachulia, Quinn Cook, Nick Young, and Kevon Looney. The Lakers countered with Lonzo Ball, Thomas, Julius Randle, Brook Lopez, and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. The two teams played a very competitive first half. The Laker Attack was led by Thomas with 15, Randle 13, and Brook Look Lopez added 15. Kevin Durant paced the Warriors with 16. Pachulia had eight, and Shaun Livingston picked up the slack with 11. Quinn Cook and Omri Casspi each had six, and Nick Young did not score at all.
The Warriors won the first quarter 26-23, but were outscored 32-29 in the second as the half ended with an even score of 55-55.
The Warriors came out smoking hot in the third quarter. The Lakers held Durant to just one bucket and three free throws, but Young and Cook led the Warriors on a 12-0 run to lead 70-59.
Pachulia, Looney, Iguodala, and Livingston paced the attack, and the Warriors finished the third period leading 89-82. The Warriors refused to let the Lakers get back in the game. The Lakers cut the deficit to five early in the fourth quarter, but Young, Casspi, Looney, and Durant were unstoppable, and the Warriors were able to win by a final score of 117-106.
Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors had seven players in double figures. Kevin Durant finished with 26 points. Durant, however, made just one 3-point shot in seven attempts.
Kevon Looney had a career high with 11 points.
Zaza Pachulia had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Pachulia also had five assists in his first start since the All-Star break.
Quinn Cook finished the night with 13.
Nick Young, aka Swaggy P, scored all 18 of his points in the second half. Young made three 3-pointers.
Omri Casspi tallied 15, and Shaun Livington finished with 13.
The Warriors brought up Damien Jones and Chris Boucher from the G-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors. Boucher made his NBA debut late in the fourth quarter.
The Warrior shot 55% from the floor, but made just six threes in 20 attempts. They outrebounded the Lakers 50-33 as they made good use of all the big men on the team.
Both teams had 25 assists, and the Warriors defense made eight steals and had six blocked shots.
The Warriors committed 22 turnovers in the game, and they were fortunate as they do not have a good record when they commit 16 or more turnovers in a game.
Andre Iguodala and Jordan Bell returned to action Wednesday night.
The Warriors were 0-3 in games played with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson before the win Wednesday.
The Warriors announced that Curry will miss three or four more games, Thompson will be resting his thumb until March 22, David West is expected to return Friday night, and it is not known how long Draymond Green will be out.
The Warriors are now 52-16, while the Lakers drop to 31-37.
Up Next: The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings Friday night at 7:30 pm PT in Oracle Arena.
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