Tag: Minnesota Timberwolves

Splash Brothers lead the way to a Warriors win over the Timberwolves 117-106

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors finished the four-game road trip with a 3-1 record. They lost to the Spurs Monday night when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson could not buy a bucket. It was a different story at the Target Center Tuesday night as Curry and Thompson combined for 64 points and led the Warriors to their 48th win of the year. DeMarcus Cousins was out again with a sore ankle and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gave Shaun Livingston the night off. Andre Iguodala, who did not play Monday, returned to action against the Timberwolves.

The Warriors wanted to get off to a good start. They did not want to be trailing at halftime by more than 10 points as they have done several times lately. They took an early 7-2 lead. The young Timberwolves, led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, went on a 20-2 run to put the Warriors in a 22-9 hole. The Warriors did not lose their composure as they regrouped and finished the first quarter on a 21-5 run to take a 30-27 lead after the first 12 minutes of play. Thompson, who did not score a point in the first half against the Spurs, tallied 15 in the first quarter.

The Warriors won the second quarter 29-20 to end the first half leading 59-47. The Warriors finally had someone come off the bench and put some points on the board. Jonas Jerebko was that player as he sparked the team with 14 points in eight minutes of playing time. Thompson led the team with 17, Curry 11, Jerebko 14, and Kevin Durant 5. For the Timberwolves, Towns put 16, Dario Saric and Wiggins had 7 each. The Warriors shot 45.7% from the floor, and the defense held the Timberwolves to just 37.8%. The Warriors were prolific from 3-point range as they connected 11 times. The Timberwolves mad four threes in 16 attempts.

The Timberwolves started the third quarter on a tear as they went on a 14-2 run to tie the game at 61. Curry and Thompson led the team on a 10-1 run, and the Timberwolves never came close. Curry was on fire as he scored the last 14 points of the third quarter and his total for the entire quarter was 22. The Warriors outscored Minnesota 32-28 and led 91-75.

With Curry on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter, the unit led by Thompson, Durant, Jerebko, Cook, and Draymond Green increased the lead to 20, 101-81. The Timberwolves went on a 19-9 run to cut the lead to nine 112-103. Curry came back into the game and knocked down a three. Each time he made a bucket before the final buzzer and the Warriors won 117-106

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 47-22 for the year. They will be making their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, which is a franchise record.

The Timberwolves dropped to 32-39 and will not make the playoffs this season.

Curry led the Warriors with 36. He made eight three-pointers. Klay had 28, and he knocked down 4 threes. Jerebko had 18 and Durant finished with 17. Draymond Green recorded 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. He also blocked 4 shots. Alfonzo McKinnie did not score, but he recorded 9 rebounds. The Warriors had 39 assists on 44 baskets. They were moving the ball well. They shot 48.8% from the floor and held Minnesota to 40.4%. The only reason the game wasn’t a blowout was the fact that the Timberwolves had 18 more free throws and made 16 more than the Warriors.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Indiana Pacers Thursday night at Oracle Arena. The Pacers have the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference, and the W’s will have to be at their best if they hope to send them down to defeat. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Pacers handle Clips 119-92; Magic’s Ross get 32 points in win; Raptors’ Siakam gets career-high point total

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Photo credit: @NBA

On the NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 The Indiana Pacers (36-19) got a 119-92 win past the LA Clippers (30-26). Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with 29 points.

#2 The Orlando Magic (23-32) got a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves (25-29) 122-112. The Magic’s Terrence Ross got 32 points.

#3 The Toronto Raptors (40-16) over the Atlanta Hawks (18-36). The Raptors Pascal Siakam got 33 points to lead all scorers.

#4 The LA Lakers (28-27) got a 129-128 win over the Boston Celtics (35-20). It was just like an old rivalry between these two NBA teams. The Lakers’ LeBron James led with 28 points and the Celtics’ Kyrie Irving had 24.

Jerry does the NBA podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Thunder in the house, Westbrook and George, led the way; Lillard can’t be contained, scores 24; plus more

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Photo credit: @okcthunder

On the NBA podcast with Jerry:

#1 The Oklahoma City Thunder got offensive help from Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Both scored 23 to lead the Thunder over the New Orleans Pelicans 122-116.

#2 Damian Lillard led the Portland Trailblazers with 24 points as the Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 120-106. A big road win for the Blazers in the Valley of the Sun.

#3 The Washington Wizards got rolled by the Golden State Warriors 126-118 in the nation’s capital. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry led with 38 points.

#4 Minnesota vs. LA Lakers: Karl Anthony Towns scored 27 points and had 12 rebounds in the Minnesota Timberwolves win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night 120-105.

Jerry is a Golden State Warriors beat writer and does the NBA podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Can Kings get the taste of Minnesota out and put a stop to OKC Wednesday night?

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sactownroyalty.com photo: The Sacramento Kings Skal Labissiere (7) asks “what gives” as teammate Harry Giles III (20) looks on in the Kings’ 30-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night at the Target Center.

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Minnesota Timberwolves had just too much fire power on Monday night for the Sacramento Kings. The Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with 17 and the Kings’ Bobby Hield topped scorers with 21 points.

#2 Kings head coach Dave Joerger had 13 players even players who have not played in a long while come off the bench and get minutes. Was this because the Wolves were piling on or because he thought he could right the ship with a rotating lineup?

#3 Skal Labissiere–it was his ninth time playing and he got some minutes. While Labissiere was happy to get in the game. he hasn’t seen much action at this season.

#4 The Kings were in over their heads at the Target Center against the Wolves in the 30-point loss. With Wiggins, the top scorer with 17, is it an indicator that all the players in this one were all shooting the lights out no matter who they were? Did they find a weakness in the Kings’ game plan?

#5 The Kings host the OKC Thunder on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. Will the Kings need to put their shoulder into this one much like the game in Minnesota? How does Charlie see this one?

Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcast each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings Monday game wrap: Kings can’t get past Timberwolves in 30-point loss 132-105

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sacbee.com photo: Kings guard Buddy Hield, defended by Robert Covington (33) of the Timberwolves, scored 16 of Sacramento’s first 17 points Monday night, Dec. 17, 2018, Hield’s 25th birthday. But the Kings were routed by Minnesota 132-105

By Tony Renteria

It was just too much Minnesota Timberwolves for the Sacramento Kings as the Kings fell in their second game of this two-game road trip. This time, a135-105  loss to the Wolves at Target Center. The Kings appeared to be gaining on the Wolves in the second quarter.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger used all 13 of his players, including the bench in this battle. For a number of Kings players, it’s been a long while since they played and it showed as the Wolves ran away with a 30-point win. For Skal Labissiere, it was only the ninth time that he has seen game action.

Labissiere entered the game with less than three minutes left in the second quarter. Labissiere had not played in the last nine Kings games, but did appear for eight minutes when used. Labissiere has the lowest point totals on the team with just 5.1 points on average during his eight minutes.

What was so surprisingly was Henry Giles III averaged 9.7 minutes, on Monday had 13 points in 21 minutes. Ben McLemore, who had been used sparingly, worked 17 minutes had 7 points and the appearance marked his 11 minutes was more than his average of 11 minutes.

After halftime, the Kings came back to the floor with Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams, Justin Jackson, Labissiere and Kosta Koufos. The Kings only used under seven minutes Willie Cauley Stein 7 minutes and 1 point, De’Aaron Fox 6 minutes and 0 points, and Nemanja Bjelica 5 minutes and 0 points.

The Kings will give it another go this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Morris Phillips has your Kings coverage at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Tony Renteria is a Sacramento Kings writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings bounce back on Sunday night, beating the Mavs 120-113

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Dallas Kings final
Photo@NBCS

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The road can be a harsh mistress in the National Basketball Association. Road teams — even strong, veteran squads — suffer humiliating upsets as the visitors in NBA arenas every season.

Sacramento experienced a heartbreaking loss on Friday night as the Golden State Warriors went on a late 17-2 run to defeat the Kings 130-125 on their home court. The Sactown team would have no time to pout about the loss as they had to head out on the road for a tough back-to-back set in Dallas and Minnesota.

First meeting with Dallas of the season

Dallas Doncic
Graphic @DallasMavs

The game on Sunday was the first of three games between the Mavs and Kings in 2018-19. The next game will be played March 21 in Sacramento and the final game will take place on March 26 in the DFW Metroplex.

It was the first time the Kings would face the rookie they passed on to draft Marvin Bagley III — Luka Doncic. Early on, draft experts were convinced that Doncic was going to a King because of his European pedigree. They were wrong.

Even now, NBA reporters are criticizing the Kings for not selecting Doncic. The fact that he is averaging 17.8 points per game along with 6.8 rpg and 4.5 apg may have something to do with that criticism. His 13 20-plus point games may also contribute to that chatter.

The Kings had to play shorthanded

Marvin Bagley III was injured in the Warriors game on Friday night. The Kings rookie star suffered a deep bruise on his left knee and is out for an indefinite period of time. The last word on his condition has him being re-evaluated in 10-14 days.

Iman Shumpert injured his hip in that same game on Friday night and his availability versus the Mavericks was considered a game-time decision. The decision was Shumpert would not be available to play in Dallas.

The first half was a draw

Dallas Hield
Photo@SacramentoKings

As the teams hit the locker rooms at halftime, the Kings held a 61-58 lead over the Mavericks. The half featured seven lead changes and the game was tied six times. The Kings biggest was nine points while the Mavs’ largest lead was seven points.

Dallas won the battle in the paint 30-28. Sacramento outscored the Mavericks 19-9 on Fast Break Points.

The Kings shot 46.9% (23/49) in the half while Dallas hit 22-of-52 (42.3%) of their shots. Each team connected on four 3-point baskets in first 24-minutes.

Buddy Hield paced the Kings scoring with 17 points while De’Aaron Fox added 14 on his own.

The Mavericks scoring attack was led by Luka Doncic who put up 13 points. Dirk Nowitzki added three points. The significance of those points is they came in his first appearance before the fans in Dallas this season.

SAC increases its lead in the third period

The Kings outscored the Mavericks 32-25 in the third quarter. Sacramento shot 13-for-24 (54.2%) from the field in the third while Dallas hit 8-of-22 (36.4%) from the floor. Buddy Hield was the Kings leading scorer with nine points while Luka Doncic led the Mavs with six points.

With 36 minutes in the book, Sacramento held a 93-83 lead over the team from DFW.

The Mavs kept it close in the fourth

Doncic scored nine points and Jalen Brunson added eight as the Mavericks outscored the Kings 30-27 in the final period. De’Aaron Fox scored eight points for the Kings who added 27 to their total in the last quarter.

When the final the buzzer sounded, the Kings had won the game 120-113.

The Sactown backcourt duo combined for 56 points

Dallas Kings 5
Photo@SacramentoKings

Kings guards Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox each scored 28 points in the game (season-high for Hield). Hield shot 12-for-23 for the game while going 3-for-9 from long distance. He also grabbed four rebounds and added two assists.

Fox went hit 11-of-19 attempts while going 0-for-3 from behind the 3-point line. He hit 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Fox dished out five assists and made three steals.

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica each posted 15 points for the Kings. “Byelly” made it “double-double” by hauling in 10 rebounds.

Mavs scoring

Luka Doncic (remember that name) was the Mavericks leading scorer with 28 points. He also had nine assists. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes recorded 15 points.

The “Monster of the Boards” DeAndre Jordan hauled in 23 rebounds (10 on offense) and scored eight points. The 23 rebounds is a season-high for Jordan.

The standings

The Kings (16-13) are now tied for sixth place in the Western Conference with Memphis and Portland.

Dallas (15-13) is in sole possession of ninth place in the West.

Up next

The Kings will be back in action on Monday night in Minnesota versus a team that just lost four games in a row on the road. The T-Wolves are going to be hungry to get back into the win column so they will be a very dangerous opponent for Sacramento.

The Mavericks will head out on the road and will face the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday night.

Kings down Timberwolves 141-130, improve to 15-12

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — I said in late October that if the Kings remained at or near a split record through November, I would be excited about this season. Well, the Kings have not disappointed! Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls improved the Kings’ record to 14-12 this season. I had an idea this was possible, but didn’t truly believe it would happen. The Kings aren’t the best team in the Western Conference. The Kings aren’t even the best team in their respective division. However, the Kings are much better than last year and dramatically more entertaining. The Kings and their fans headed into Wednesday night’s game looking to build off of their 3-1 road trip. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings started the game out the game on a high note. After about 2 minutes of play, the Kings led the Timberwolves 8-4. Through the first quarter, the Kings would be in control the majority of the time. The Kings finished the first with De’Aaron Fox leading the way with 9 points. Andrew Higgins led the T-wolves with 12 in the first quarter of play. After one, the Kings led the T-wolves 35-31.

The second quarter was more of the same. Sacramento wasn’t playing around when they decided to score 28 more points and hold the T-wolves to 19. The Kings clearly had momentum on their side going into halftime. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings in scoring going into the half with 12 points. Andrew Wiggins led the T-wolves with 14 first-half points. Notably, the Kings shot at a 57.1% FG clip while the T-wolves shot 50% FG.

Going into the third, the Kings came out of the locker room with a 13-point lead. That came into jeopardy when the T-wolves scored 11 unanswered points to bring the game to a score of 63-61. For the rest of the quarter, the game stayed relatively the same. Both teams traded back to back baskets. When the third was all said and done… The Kings led 96-92 going into the fourth.

In the fourth, the Kings would go on a terror early on. That run would ultimately propel the Kings to victory by the score of 141-130. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings with 25 points. Amongst others, Buddy Hield, and Bogdan Bogdanovic had notable performances with 20 points apiece.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings find their shot in Chicago to close Bulls in second half

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photo from sacbee.com Kings guard Iman Shumpert (9) loses the ball as he’s defended by Bulls forward Wendell Carter Jr. (34) in the first half, but Sacramento roared back in the second half to beat Chicago 108-89 on Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, and finish their trip with a 3-1 record. Shumpert says the Kings are now “a professional ball club.”

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Kings got a lot of key help at the United Center on Monday night De’Aarron Fox led Kings scorers with 25 points Charlie talks about Fox’s offense and how he worked his inside game to help keep ahead of Chicago.

#2 Fox told the media post game that if he makes the first three he know he’s going to have a good game and it’s something that he even told Kings head coach Dave Joerger.

#3 It’s been said by the Kings players that their more than just a team their a brotherhood. The Kings have won four of their last five games including their win over the Bulls Monday 108-89

#4 Willie Cauley-Stein has been big on assists pulling down rebounds on Monday he led the team 16 rebounds.

#5 The Kings tip off against the Minnesota Timerbwolves this Wednesday night at Golden One Center a 7:00pm start.

Join Charlie O with the Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors defeat Timberwolves 116-108 to win fourth in a row

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors welcomed back Draymond Green to the starting lineup Monday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors now have the Big Four healthy, and they were able to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 to win their fourth in a row.

The Warriors started the first quarter with a 13-0 run. Steph Curry mad two-three-pointers and Kevin Durant had one. Minnesota came back with an 8-0 run and closed the gap to just one, trailing 19-18. The Warriors regained their composure and finished the quarter leading 30-24.

In the second quarter, each team scored 33 points. The Wolves tied the game at 46 about midway through the period. It was the first time that the Wolves didn’t trail in the game. The Warriors regained the lead and never relinquished it the rest of the game. The Warriors led 63-57 at the end of the first half. The half also ended with Klay Thompson hitting a three just as the buzzer sounded. Green finished the first half with 7 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 15 minutes of action.

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr tried to give Green rest as he misses about five weeks of play due to a toe injury. Curry had 13, Thompson 15, and Durant 15. Alfonzo McKinnie and Jonas Jerebko, coming off the bench, kicked it with 7 and 5, respectively.

Minnesota’s offense was led by Karl-Anthony Towns with 13. Derrick Rose had 13, Andrew Wiggins 8 and Dario Saric 9.

In the third quarter, the Warriors showed the fans in the arena and those watching on TV that they are a team that is hungry for another championship. They outplayed the Wolves on both ends of the court. They outscored the Wolves 28-20 to take a 14-point lead at the end of three periods of play. They were outstanding on defense, and Curry scored 16 points in the stanza.

Minnesota went on a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter. The Warriors responded with several threes to go up 107-93 with 4:05 left in the game. Minnesota did get a little closer, but they did not have enough firepower to overtake the Warriors. The Warriors won 116-108.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors, with the win, improve to 19-9.

Minnesota drops to 13-14.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 38 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Curry made 7 3-point shots in 14 attempts, and the Warriors, as a team, knocked down 19 threes.

Klay Thompson finished with 26, Kevin Durant had 22. Draymond Green did not score in the second half, but he was a force on defense. He pulled down 10 rebounds and had 7 assists in his return from the DL. Jonas Jerebko had quite a night with 10 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists.

The Warriors shot 41.9% from the floor. Minnesota shot 45.8% from the floor, but made just 7 3-pointers in 25 attempts. The Warriors outrebounded the Wolves 49-42. Each team committed 16 turnovers.

The Warriors were named as Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine earlier on Monday. They became only the fourth team to earn the honor.

Up Next: The Warriors resume play Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors beat the Warriors in overtime in Toronto, and the Dubs want to avenge the loss on Wednesday at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PST.

Kings bounce back with 121-110 win over the Timberwolves

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings came into Friday night’s game coming off their fifth loss of the year. The Kings were beaten by the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday by a final of 114-105. On Friday, the Kings looked to get back on track and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Based on the standings, the Kings are were favored to win the game. Prior to Friday’s game, the Kings were 6-5 and the Timberwolves were 4-8. The tip-off was set for 7 pm PST in smokey California.

The first few minutes of the game did not go as planned for the Kings. The Kings had some open looks in the first few minutes but it proved fruitless. With nearly half of the minutes gone in the first, the Kings had only three points. The Kings were able to slip the script in the final minutes of the first. They were able to put an additional 26 points on the board to bring the game within two points. After the first, the Timberwolves led the Kings 31-29.

The second quarter would prove a little more even-keeled. Other than the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns went off, the quarter was relatively quiet for the Timberwolves. Towns put a monster 29 points on the board in the first half. The Kings, on the other hand, kept pace. Led by Willie Cauley-Stein and Iman Shumpert the Kings were able to make it a 63-61 Kings advantage after two quarters. Willie Cauley-Stein had 17 and Iman Shumpert had 12.

The third quarter was the Kings’ quarter. They have proven that so far this year and they did it again on Friday. Nemenja Bjelica contributed 10 points and led the Kings to a strong third. The Timberwolves managed to score 20 points but the Kings scored 29 to expand the lead. The third quarter finished 92-81 Kings up.

The Kings were 12 minutes away from a 7-5 record. The only question was if they could hold the lead. That was in jeopardy halfway through the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves had cut the lead to eight points and clearly had the momentum. So, with 5:55 remaining in the game, Dave Joerger called a timeout. The timeout didn’t appear to do much good. The Timberwolves scored six unanswered points to make it 106-108.

With the game on the line, the Kings put up a pair of defensive stops and were able to make baskets on the other end. With two minutes to play the Kings were up 115-106. From there, the game was the Timberwolves to lose and the Kings did the opposite. The Kings managed to hold things together and pull out a 121-110 win.

The Kings improved to 7-5 and the Timberwolves fell to 4-9.

Up Next: The LA Lakers come to town for the first time in the LeBron James era. Tip-off is set for Saturday night at 7 pm PST.