Headline Sports with Barbara Mason: LSU tops Clemson 42-25 for Championship game; NFL Playoffs previews: plus more

yahoo.com photo: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (8) had a record night in the NCAA Championship throwing for 463 yards and six touchdowns Monday night against the Clemson Tigers

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 It was the battle of the Tigers and only one Tiger would finish on top. The LSU Tigers got a huge victory over the Clemson Tigers 42-25 in the NCAA Championship behind LSU quarterback Joe Burrow who threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns no wonder LSU won it.

#2 We’ll start with the NFC Championship coming this Sunday. The Green Bay Packers are coming to Santa Clara with quarterback Aaron Rogers. The Packers in a close game against the Seattle Seahawks will face the 49ers. The last time the two teams met were in November and the 49ers won convincingly 37-8.

#3 In the AFC Championship the Kansas City Chiefs made offensive work of the Houston Texans 51-31 on Sunday. The Chiefs will host the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship. The Titans shocked the football world on Saturday with a 28-12 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

#4 The Golden State Warriors continue to slide this time to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday 122-102. It was the eighth consecutive loss for Golden State.

#5 The San Jose Sharks (21-23-4) fall off the tracks tonight with a 6-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes (26-18-5) in Glendale. The Coytotes and Sharks were tied in the third period 3-3 but the Arizona went on a three goal rally and that was the difference.

Barbara Mason does the Headline Sports podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Grizzlies maul Warriors in second half send Golden State down to eighth straight loss 122-102

Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas, top, shoots between Golden State Warriors forward Glenn Robinson III (22) and guard D’Angelo Russell (0) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who have played well in their last four games. were hoping to snap their seven-game losing streak Sunday. They were facing a young Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis.

The Grizzlies, like the Warriors, are a young team. They, however, have turned their season around and were able to win their fifth game in a row by a score of 122-102. The oldest player in the Grizzlies’ starting lineup was 29-year-old Jae Crowder.

The Warriors welcomed back D’Angelo Russell to the starting lineup Sunday. Russell missed six games due to a right shoulder contusion when he ran into the Dallas Mavericks’ Luke Doncic in December.

Neither Damion Lee nor Ky Bowman was available as they are close to the limit of games that they can play in the NBA as they have two-way contracts. Lee is expected to sign a deal soon that would give remove the two-way status.

With Lee and Bowman out, the Warriors started D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks at guard. Omari Spellman, who has been in double-figures the last four games, made his second career start in the NBA.

Spellman had the unenviable task of having to stop the Grizzlies big center, Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas hails from Lithuania and is six-feet eleven inches tall and is a force in the middle. The other player that is making a difference for Memphis is the rookie, Ja Morant. Morant, who played his college ball at Murray State, is averaging 18 points a game and, at the moment, is the odds-on favorite to be Rookie of the Year in the NBA.

The Warriors and the Grizzlies played a very competitive first 24 minutes. In the first half, the lead changed six times. The Warriors made five threes in the first quarter and kept pace with the Grizzlies. D’Angelo Russell had some trouble making his shots as he showed a little rust after missing six games. The Grizzlies finished the first quarter with a 27-26 lead.

Memphis increased the lead to nine 39-30 early in the second quarter. Russell started to make shots. Russell got hot and finished the first half with 18 points. Each team scored 33 points in the second period, and Memphis retained their one-point lead at the end of the first half.

The third quarter was a different story. Over the last five years, the Warriors used to own the third quarter. They would go on the attack and put teams away. On Sunday night, the tables were turned. It was the Grizzlies that owned the quarter.

The Warriors could not stop Jonas Valanciunas. The big center helped the Grizzlies dominate. He grabbed eight offensive rebounds. He made layups. He even made a three-point shot. Memphis stopped the Warriors offense cold in the third quarter.

The Warriors scored just seven points in the first six and one-half minutes pf play in the quarter.  Memphis outscored them 35-17 to finish the period with a 19-point advantage 95-76.

The Warriors played better in the final stanza. Eric Paschall and D’Angelo Russell did what they could, but it was too little, too late. Memphis won the quarter 27-26 and the game 122-102.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors lost their eighth in a row and are 9-32 for the season. Memphis won their fifth in a row and are now 18-22. Memphis, if the playoffs were to start now, own the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Russell led Golden State with 34 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Russell made five threes in nine tries. Jordan Poole and Alec Burks each had thirteen. Poole made four threes. Omari Spellman had 12 points, four assists, and has made three threes in three tries. Paschall finished with ten.

Jonas Valanciunas had a monster double-double. Jonas knocked down 31 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. Memphis outrebounded The Dubs 60-47. They ripped down 18 offensive boards. The Warriors had 12. Jaren Jackson, Jr. had 21, Ja Morant 11. The Memphis bench added 47 points. Bench players Grayson Allen had 11, Tyus Jones 11, and De’Anthony Melton 10.

The Warriors return home to face the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

 

 

Kings end drought beat Grizzlies 128-123; Fox and Hield lead in scoring

@ NBA Media Ventures

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings have already hit rock bottom. They are now just lingering at the bottom of the ocean on the ocean floor. Unfortunately, that’s really the only way to put it. The Kings are looking for anything to build on at this point. Having lost 8 straight, the Kings entered into Thursday nights game desperately needing a win. The opponent was the Memphis Grizzlies who were 13-21 coming into the game. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

In the first, the Grizzlies got off to a roaring start. They shot 58% overall and 55% from deep to take a commanding 42-26 lead over the Kings. The Kings managed to put up 26 points on 43% overall and 33% from deep. Jaren Jackson Jr. showed up in a big way for the Grizzlies dropping 14 points on 5-7 shooting in the first. Leading the way for the Kings in the first was Buddy Hield who scored 12 points. The Kings would need to right the ship in a hurry before they let this game too out of reach.

In the second, the Kings took the lead about as quickly as the Grizzlies got it in the first. The Kings erupted for 37 points in the second quarter and held the Grizzlies to 18 points to take a 63-60 lead going into halftime. Richuan Holmes dropped 13 points in the second alone to lead the Kings in the first half with a total of 15 points. De’Aaron Fox also played well in the first half putting up 10 points. The Kings would hope to keep things going in the second half to snap their eight-game losing streak.

In the third, the Kings defense fell flat again. Like the first quarter, the Kings weren’t able to control the Grizzlies offense. The Grizzlies scored 37 points. So far in the game is was the tale of two quarters. The Kings managed to score 27 points but gave up the lead 97-90 going into the final quarter. The Kings only hoped they could replicate what they did in the second quarter in the final twelve minutes of action.

In the final quarter, the Kings battled back and the game was tied with 7:08 left. The Kings had put themselves in a position to win, and they did just that. The Kings snapped their eight-game losing streak by scoring 38 points in the fourth to win 128-123. The Grizzlies managed to score 26 points in the fourth but it wasn’t enough. Leading the way for the victorious Kings was De’Aaron Fox who scored 27 points followed by Buddy Hield who scored 26. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant led the way with 23 points.

In a game the Kings desperately needed to win, they managed to pull it out. It wasn’t pretty, but they got it done. The Kings improved to 13-22 on the year. Don’t look now but the Kings are still only two games back of the eighth seed. All hope is not lost Kings fans.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings fall short to Rockets 113-104; Fourth consecutive loss for Sacramento

photo from sacbee.com: Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) shoots over Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) for three-points during a game at Golden 1 Center on Monday, Dec 23, 2019 in Sacramento

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Coming off three straight road loses the Sacramento Kings (12-18) played host to the Houston Rockets (21-9) at Golden One Center in Sacramento and yet lost another game 113-104.

#2 The Rockets had 16 points to the Kings 25 in the fourth quarter and still the Kings never held the lead in the game and never got that burst on the scoreboard. The Kings are missing a number of their offensive plays to stay a step ahead of their opponents.

#3 The Rockets got top scoring from James Harden 34 pts and Russell Westbrook 28 pts who have pave the way to the win

#4 De Aaron Fox and Richaun Holmes led the Kings with scoring Fox with 31 and Holmes 12. Fox carried the weight of the team and the Kings fell nine points short.

#5 After their last win to the Golden State Warriors the Kings have now lost four straight and host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night

Join Charlie Tuesdays for the Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

The Kings lose the final game of their road trip in Memphis 119-115

Buddy Hield vs Memphis
Buddy Hield goes for the steal @NBC CA

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings had to fly home from Memphis licking their wounds after losing the final three games of their four-game road. On Saturday night, the Kings dropped the final game of the road swing to the Grizzlies 119-115. The game was never as close as the final score might imply.

Lead Changes

There were three lead changes in the game; however, the Kings never held the lead after the first quarter of the game. The largest lead of the game for Sacramento was seven points. The Grizzlies biggest lead was 17 points.

Memphis held a 10 point lead – 60 to 50 – at halftime.

By the end of three quarters, the Grizzlies were up 91-78 over the Kings.

The Kings made a big charge in the final period as De’Aaron Fox scored 14 points while Memphis went 12 players deep to rest their starters. Sacramento outscored the Grizzlies 37-28 the fourth quarter but came up four points short of winning the game when the final buzzer sounded.

3-point baskets made the difference 

The Grizzlies hit 15 of 35 attempts (42.9%) from downtown in the game versus the Kings.

The Kings shot just 30.6% (11-for-36) from behind the arc in the contest which ultimately led to their downfall.

The charity stripe was unkind to SAC

The Kings went to the line 24 times but hit only 18 shots.

The Grizzlies went 24-for-29 from the charity stripe. Those six points proved too big when the final horn sounded.

Sacramento

  • Harrison Barnes led all scorers with 25 points in the game.
  • De’Aaron Fox – who got the start in the game – finished with 22 points.
  • Richaun Holmes put up a double-double putting in 18 points and hauling in 12 rebounds.
  • Marvin Bagley III also had a double-double game with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Memphis

  • Jaren Jackson Jr. was the Grizzlies leading scorer with 18 points.
  • Jae Crowder recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Dillon Brooks scored 16 points.
  • Ja Morant and Grayson Allen both scored 13 points in the contest.

Up next

The Kings return home to host the very tough Houston Rockets on Monday night.

The Grizzlies will host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Morant’s big night sparks Grizzlies’ win over struggling Warriors 110-102

Photo credit: @GrizNationCP

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, December 9, 2019

Ja Morant celebrated his return to the Memphis lineup Monday by scoring 26 points while dishing out seven assists, as the Grizzlies handed Golden State its 20th loss of the season with a 110-102 decision at Chase Center.

Morant, the second overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, also had two rebounds and a steal after missing the last four games with a sore back. It was the Grizzlies’ second win in their last 11 games.

Dillon Brooks was next on the Grizzlies scoring list with 17 points, followed by Jaren Jackson with 16, Grayson Allen scored 15 off the bench, and Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

D’Angelo Russell and reserve Alec Burks each scored 18 points to lead the Warriors (5-20), followed by Willie Cauley-Stein with 17. Draymond Green scored16 points and Omari Spellman added 10. Russell also struggled from the field, hitting 6 of 22 shots.

Cauley-Stein and Glenn Robinson III each grabbed eight rebounds and Burks had seven, as Golden State held a 46-42 rebounding edge. However, the Warriors also shot 38 percent for the game.

Memphis (7-16) led 54-47 at halftime, but the Warriors stayed close throughout the second half. The Warriors had pulled to within 106-100 with just over a minute to play, but Morant finished a drive through the lane with a dunk that silenced the crowd.

Some good news for the Warriors: Jacob Evans III, who has been on the shelf since Oct. 28 with a strained left hip, played nine minutes against the Grizzlies.

On Wednesday, Golden State hosts the New York Knicks in a matchup of two of the NBA’s charter members. The Knicks, who fired coach David Fizdale and assistant Keith Smart last Friday, are the only team with a worse record than the Warriors.

Warriors cruise past the Grizzlies 114-95 in Memphis

Photo credit: @warriors

By Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors looked to snap a 7-game losing skid and they did just that on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum.

The Warriors’ starting five featured Alec Burks, Draymond Green, Glenn Robinson III, Eric Paschall and Willie Cauley-Stein. The Warriors were ready to rock as they took the floor.

The Warriors’ defense got off to a good start. Draymond Green went out of the group and ran with Robinson III to hammer down an alley-oop to extend the Warriors’ lead to 12-5 with 8:41 left in the first quarter. Moreover, with two blocks Tuesday, Green (583) passed Andris Biedrins (580) for fifth on the Warriors’ all-time blocks list.

Despite the Warriors’ positives, Memphis barely led 30-28 at the end of the first.

But the Warriors stormed back scoring 33 points in the second quarter. The Warriors took a 61-46 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

Willie Cauley-Stein made some sweet shots to open the second half. Also, Golden State made some 3-pointers the hard way with slips and falls in the process. In addition, Eric Paschall made a baseline jump for the step back with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter. Paschall, in my opinion, could take Green’s place in the future, but we’ll see what happens. Green reportedly believes Paschall doesn’t know his NBA game yet. Yet, it’s debatable because Paschall has been averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

The Warriors’ largest lead of the night occurred in the fourth with 5:44 left in regulation, thanks to Robinson III and Cauley-Stein.

The Warriors scored 31 points in the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies. Golden State won by a final score of 114-95. With the win, Golden State is now 3-2, while Memphis falls to 5-9.

Alec Burk led the Warriors with 29 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Glenn Robinson III had 20 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound. Marquese Chriss scored 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks. Eric Paschall added 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block.

The Warriors meet the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 4:30 pm PST.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Skaggs’ death a tragedy, waiting for autopsy results; Nets aren’t just banking on KD when he gets back

Photo credit: @KleinschmidtJD

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died on Monday at a Texas hotel. Amaury had a chance to work with and interview Skaggs when Amaury was doing Spanish play-by-play on Angels TV. He was a good kid and his mother, although her last name wasn’t Spanish, she was Mexican American.

He spoke Spanish. His dad’s last name was Skaggs. He was 27 years old. Amaury had a chance to speak with him during his time broadcasting Angels baseball. He was a nice young man always available to speak to with the media.

The Southland Police said they do not suspect foul play and it has not been determined if Skaggs passed away due to natural causes. Officers found Skaggs unresponsive at the hotel and was deceased at the scene.

Amaury also talks about how the moves at the Golden State Warriors and how the Kevin Durant move will impact the team as he moves to the Brooklyn Nets and Andre Iguodala was rumored to go to the Memphis Grizzlies so Golden State can shed that salary. Iguodala could end up at the Lakers. DeAngelo Russell comes to the Warriors from the Nets and will probably be the point guard on the second unit.

Amaury is the Oakland A’s Spanish play-by-play radio talent on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors wrap up regular season with 132-117 loss to Grizzlies

Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors closed out the 2019 regular season on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum on Wednesday night. Warrior fans were in attendance to get some autographs from the players, including Andrew Bogut, and of course, watch some pregame hoops before the tipoff.

The Warriors were locked in and ready to take on the Grizzlies in game 82. The Warriors’ starting five featured Quinn Cook, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jordan Bell, and Andrew Bogut.

The Warriors started things off with a fiery play that had Warrior fans talking amongst themselves. Andrew Bogut passed the ball to Kevin Durant, who passed the ball over to Jordan Bell, who tossed a two-point bucket on a no-look at the 11-minute mark of the first quarter.

Quinn Cook drew attention to himself as he hit a three-pointer with 7:52 left in the first. With the three, Cook upped his point total to 500 and counting.

Klay Thompson also drew attention to himself. Thompson appeared in his 615th career game and passed Purvis Short (614) for the 10th most regular season games played in Warriors’ history. Thompson’s the Warriors’ all-time leader in postseason games played with 102.

Speaking of Thompson, the big man hit back-to-back threes to put the Warriors up with 5:23 left in the first. Thompson then added a bucket.

Thompson hit another three to make it a one-point game with 2:11 left in the first. With the three, the Warriors knocked down a total of 1,078 threes this season for a new franchise record.

Despite all the highlight reel worthy moments, the Warriors trailed 86-68 at the end of the first half.

Things didn’t get any better for the Warriors, who trailed 114-90 at the end of the third quarter. But at least there was a silver lining when Jonas Jerebko rose up for a two-handed flush with 1:21 left in the third.

The Warriors outscored the Grizzlies 27-18 in the fourth quarter, but put a wrap on the regular season with a 132-117 loss.

The Warriors finish with a 57-25 record, while the Grizzlies finish with a 33-29 record.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 21 points, six rebounds, and one steal. Klay Thompson had 19 points, three assists, one steal, and one block. Jordan Bell had 15 points, eight rebounds, and one block. Marcus Derrickson had 13 points and two rebounds. Damion Lee had 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Quinn Cook had 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Jacob Evans had eight points, four assists, and three rebounds. Jonas Jerebko had six points, three rebounds, three assists, and one block. Kevon Looney had six points, three rebounds, and three assists. Andre Iguodala had five points and five assists. Alfonso McKinnie had four points and three rebounds. Andrew Bogut added six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.

The Warriors get ready for the postseason as they await their first round opponent.

Warriors take down the Grizzlies 118-103

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors traveled to Memphis to face the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night. The Grizzlies, coached by J.B. Bickerstaff, had a record of 30-44 before the start of the game and were not going to make the playoffs this year. The Grizzlies traded their star center Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors for Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas, who did not playing much in Toronto, found a new home in Memphis. The Grizzlies have played well and beaten several postseason-bound teams. The Warriors, who were embarrassed at home by the lowly Phoenix Suns, did not want to suffer the same fate at the hands of the Grizzlies. The Warriors entered the game with a record of 50-23 and are in a race to win home court advantage in the Western Conference.

The two teams played a very entertaining first quarter. The Warriors led 30-27 late in the period when Memphis went on a 10-1 run the finish the period 37-31. Former Warrior Justin Holiday connected on a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

Memphis increased the lead to 41-31 before the Warriors started clawing their way back. Golden State’s second unit of Quinn Cook, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins, and Klay Thompson knocked down threes and the Warriors tied the game at 50. The Warriors continued to play well and finished the first half 66-60.

The Warriors were hot from the floor. They were 26-for-41 from the floor and made 11 three-point shots. Curry and Kevin Durant led the team with 14 each, Quinn Cook made three threes for nine points total. The Grizzlies’ Jonas Valanciunas had 16 and Michael Conley added 11. Conley passed M. Gasol to become the Grizzlies’ leading scorer in franchise history.

The Grizzlies used a 8-2 run in the third quarter to tie the game. Klay Thompson made a three and Steph knocked down two more threes to put the Warriors ahead 77-68. The Grizzlies refused to quit and went on an 11-2 run to trail 85-84. Curry made two free throws and Alfonzo McKinney hit a deuce to finish the quarter leading 89-84.

The Grizzlies continued to fight back and briefly held a 92-91 lead. The Warriors took control of the game behind the play of Durant, Livingston, Cousins, and Draymond Green. The Warriors won 118-103.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant had the best shooting night of his career. He missed just one shot from the floor. He made 12 buckets in 13 tries. He was 3-for-3 in three-point shots. In addition, he had nine boards and six assists.

Curry had a double-double with 28 points and led the team with 10 rebounds,

Cousins scored 16, while Klay Thompson had 13.

Memphis’ leading scorers were Jonas Valanciunas with 27 points, Michael Conley with 22 points, Bruno Caboclo with points 17, and Chandler Parsons with 13 points.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis Friday at 5:00 pm.