Tag: NBA

Atlanta Prevails Over Golden State 121-110

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) has a conversation official Bennie Adams during the first half at State Farm Arena Fri Mar 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

Atlanta Prevails Over Golden State 121-110

By Barbara Mason

After the incredible win against the Eastern Conference leading Miami Heat (47-27), the Warriors (48-26) took on the Hawks (37-37) in Atlanta Friday night. The young’uns played the game of their lives on Wednesday and it sure would have been fun to see them again in tonight’s game but with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green back on the court the starting roster will look different.

Chances are that those guys were pretty tired after the Magic game playing more minutes than they are used to under normal circumstances. Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga would join Thompson, Green and Wiggins to start this game.

There have been ups and downs in the month of March for the Warriors so what we would see tonight was uncertain. We were soon to find out.

The first quarter was the start that we hoped for from the Warriors. Golden State was leading after the first twelve minutes 42-36. Poole and Thompson had an amazing start in this game. 42 points in one quarter was a great start for the team.

The Warriors led by as much a 11 points in the second quarter but fell behind to trail 69-67 after two quarters. Thompson and Poole continued to lead the team but there were three missed threes in the late minutes of the half. The Warriors were having a great offensive game but they needed more defense having allowed the Hawks to shoot 60% in the first half. There was some work to do in the second half.

The Warriors offense had cooled significantly in the third quarter as the Hawks took a nine point lead 86-77 mid-way through the quarter. Trae Young was making life pretty miserable for Golden State, taking over the game. The Warriors offense needed to wake up since they had pretty much gone to sleep. The offense we saw in the first quarter was no where to be found. They trailed 101-83 after three.

When it looked as if the Warriors were doomed in this game they came storming back in the fourth quarter trailing by five points with 5:12 left in the game. There were some anxious moments in the game when if looked as if Jordan Poole had been pinned with his fifth foul.

After a review it was determined that he did not foul and the Warriors would still have Poole on the floor. The Warriors desperately needed some defense and just could not produce any. The Hawks came away with a 121-110 win.

Despite Golden State overcoming an 18 point deficit to pull within three points the Hawks had just enough left in the tank to beat Golden State.

The offense in the first quarter of this game was a good one and when this game finished Thompson had scored 37 points and Poole with 24. Gary Payton II had 14 points off the bench. The third quarter was the turning point for the Warriors. The Hawks outscored Golden State in that quarter 32-16 and that spelled another loss for the Warriors.

The Warriors will continue their road trip on Sunday taking on the Washington Wizards. Tipoff is schedule for 3:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Close win ends Kings three game loss streak over Pacers; Sac in Orlando Saturday

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Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) passes the ball past Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wed Mar 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the Sacramento Kings (26-48) got a last second tip in by Damian Jones that just got the Kings over the hump and defeated their hosts the Indiana Pacers (25-48) 110-109 on Wednesday night in Indiana.

#2 The Kings Trey Miles took a three point shot but with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock that missed and Jones jumped and tipped in the shot for the winner. Jones and the Kings have played much improved basketball of late.

#3 The Kings had lost three straight game previous to coming to Indiana and Kings head coach Alvin Gentry says the Kings have struggling on the road and winning Wednesday’s game against the Pacers was important.

#4 Gentry said he knows what Jones can do on being aggressive on the boards and Jones had a great block and got the winning tip.

#5 The Orlando Magic (20-54) have been playing .500 ball of late winning four of their last eight they lost their last game Wednesday to the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-52) 118-102 but one thing about the Magic lately you just don’t know which team is going to show up. The Magic and Kings go at it Saturday night in Orlando.

Jeremiah does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Finishes Off Heat 118-104 end three game skid

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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) takes a shot against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) at the FTX Center in Miami on Wed Mar 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

Golden State Finishes Off Heat 118-104

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday the Warriors suffered their toughest loss yet this year. The Orlando Magic handled them 94-90 earning their 20th win this year. It was a disaster from start to the finish for Golden State. The team played soft and sloppy and quite frankly stupid for their third straight loss.

Wednesday night the Warriors (48-25) were back on the court against the Miami Heat (47-26) who are in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors were without Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr. It will up to the young guys to take on the likes of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry. The Heat are the best three point shooting team in the league right now. The Warriors were able to beat them back with a 118-104 win to snap a three game losing streak

The Warriors have not finished a game in their last three outings. They have been awful in the final quarter of those games. They had 17 turnovers in Tuesday’s game and far too many fouls.

Starting in Wednesday’s game for Golden State will be Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody and Andrew Wiggins.

After falling behind by ten points in the first quarter the Warriors would fight back to tie this game up at 23 as the quarter ended. Golden State was still struggling in shots from beyond the arc making 1 of 10 but they came up with some nice defense holding the Heat to 35% shooting. Miami had 0 points in the final four plus minutes. This was a definite win for the Warriors so far in this game.

It was a crazy start in the third quarter for Golden State. They went on a 19-0 run leading 69-50 after seven minutes of play. Kuminga already had four fouls and was benched until the fourth. They had to keep him available.

As soon as Kuminga left the game the tide began to turn a bit. The 19 point Warrior lead was trimmed to eight and here came the Heat with two minutes left in the quarter. The Heat shot 26-10 after Kuminga left the game but trailed after three 81-80. The Warriors had out rebounded the much bigger Heat 34-29.

The Warriors are plus 22 when Kuminga is in the game. Both Kuminga and Bjelica started the fourth quarter, both with four fouls.

In the fourth quarter Jonathan Kuminga fouled out of the game on a play against Butler that from all appearances should have been a no call. It was a tough loss for Golden State but the Warriors continued to hang onto a 105-95 lead with 4:21 left in the game.

It was crunch time for the Warriors. Throughout this game especially in the second half the Heat players and coaches were venting their frustration at each other. The Warriors had them totally rattled and for good reason as the young guys took care of the Miami Heat 118-104.

It yet another 20 plus point game for Poole with 30 points. Kuminga, Damien Lee and Wiggins each had 22 points. So last night the Warriors suffered their worst loss this season and tonight Golden State celebrated their craziest win this season. It was an incredible effort by the Warriors.

“It feels great to win. We stuck it out and kept fighting,” said Lee after the game. “We knew we had to bring the fight. JP had a hell of a game. Whenever my number is called I have to be ready,” he said. Not only was Lee ready but the entire team contributed to this win with energy, execution and effort. This game is a good reminder of just how deep this team is.

The Warriors handled the bigger Heat players despite physical mismatches. When the Miami defense began to collapse in the fourth quarter the Warriors had the Heat right where they wanted them.

Friday night the Warriors will play the Atlanta Hawks still on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Weak scoring in first and fourth quarters contribute to Warriors falling short 94-90

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Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (bottom), battles for the loose ball with Golden State Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr. (top) at the Amway Center in Orlando on Tue Mar 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Orlando Magic put it in their minds that nothing was going to get in their way including the Golden State Warriors (47-25) and true to form the Magic came away with a 94-90 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday night in Orlando the Magic now have won four of their last seven games.

#2 Jerry taking a look at the first and fourth quarters the Warriors shot poorly from the field in the first quarter getting only 17 points and in the fourth quarter with 16 points low tallies for a team like the Warriors.

#3 It’s off to Miami and the Heat (47-25) have won six of their last ten games losing their last contest 113-106 against the Philadelphia 76ers (44-27) on Monday night. Jerry, the Heat have some depth with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry how do you see the Warriors matching up with the Heat tonight in Miami.

Jerry Feitelberg filled in for David Zizmor for the Warriors podcast heard each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Another Upset For Golden State Losing To Orlando 94-90

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, right, looks for a shot against Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, center, and center Mo Bamba (5) at the Amway Center in Orlando on Tue Mar 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

Another Upset For Golden State Losing To Orlando 94-90

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (47-25) took on the Orlando Magic (20-53). After a tough loss against the Spurs Sunday the Warriors should have a handle on playing without Stephen Curry and getting into a rhythm and flow with the rearranged lineup. It was another tough loss for Golden State 94-90 at the Amway Center in Orlando on Tuesday night.

Both teams are playing with some impressive rookies. The Warriors have Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody and the Magic have Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. All four players are making a difference right now for their respective teams and they all have bright futures.

Again the Warriors had a slow start which would turn out to bite them in the end. The Golden State offense was MIA from the get go and the Magic took a 25-17 lead in the first quarter. This game had a disturbing similarity to the Spur game Sunday night. The Magic has only had nine wins at home this year and so a loss for the Warriors would be a disaster.

The second quarter did not go much better for Golden State trailing at the half 46-38. The Magic are a team that the Warriors should absolutely beat. These are games that the Warriors cannot afford to lose.

In the third quarter the MIA Warrior offense finally made an appearance. They outscored the Magic 36-19 and it seemed like the Warriors had found their groove.

When it seemed as if the Warriors had taken control of this game, it all fell apart. They only scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and could not buy a basket. They finished the game with 18 turnovers, they were absolutely scattered with missed open looks and empty possessions. It was an absolute collapse.

The Warriors simply cannot put themselves in a position to lose by trailing at the half to inferior teams. They had blown a 14 point lead in the third quarter. Golden State has had some great play from a number of players on the starting roster and the bench. Poole again had a 20 plus game with 26. While there were a number of the guys that had double digits the team has to do better.

Kuminga had 15 rebounds the high for the team with 14 points. The turnovers and the empty possessions are killing the Warriors. The fouls were 23 for Golden State and 14 for the Magic and the Warriors need to put a stop to this.

After the game Draymond Green addressed the media. “I think we’re playing soft and stupid. We are losing a lot of fourth quarters and that’s execution,” he said. ” No disrespect to the Orlando Magic but they are one of the worst teams. If we want to win games we got to fix this.”

It will be a tough game for the Warriors tomorrow as they take on the 47-25 Miami Heat. They have a lot to fix as Green put it and they don’t have a lot of time to do it. Tipoff is schedule for 4:30 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Kings gave it their all in overtime loss to Suns on Sunday

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The Phoenix Suns Landry Shamet takes a three point shot against the Sacramento Kings in the overtime stanza for what would be the game winner at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Sun Mar 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris at one time during Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns (58-14) the Sacramento Kings (25-48) had a ten point lead in third period but with a whole fourth period left the Suns came back out scoring the Kings 27-23 to force a tie and go into overtime.

#2 The Suns Devin Booker fouled out of the game and that handicapped the Suns slightly and the Kings who tied things up at the end of the fourth period 124-124 looked as if they might have a shot at beating one of the best teams in the NBA.

#3 With 31 seconds left the Suns Landry Shamet hit a three pointer in the overtime stanza after missing an previous shot above the arc and the three pointer by Shamet proved to be the game winner.

#4 The Kings in their own right were short handed missing their key offensive star point guard De’Aaron Fox as Davion Mitchell started for Fox and scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis had 18 points great effort tough loss for Sacramento.

#5 The Kings will tip off against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at 4:00 pm PDT. The Pacers have won four of their last six games including a 129-98 win against the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. On the other hand the Kings have now lost six of their last seven games and Sunday’s game against the Suns could actually have been one of their best despite losing.

Join Morris for the Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors drop second straight game; Curry to miss two weeks

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry takes in the game from the Warriors bench against the San Antonio Spurs at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Mar 20, 2022. Curry is expected to miss two weeks of action due to a left foot injury. (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason:

1. Setback for James Wiseman and what that means for the Warriors.

2. More news for the Warriors in Stephen Curry missing two weeks at the very least.

3. Last night’s crazy game against the San Antonio Spurs and who were the heroes for Golden State

4. Draymond Green misstep and what that meant in this game.

5. Thoughts on the Warriors road game Tuesday night in Orlando against the Orlando Magic (19-53)

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Suns overtake Kings 127-124 in OT

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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) is fouled by Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) in the second half at the Golden One Arena Sacramento on Sun Mar 21, 2022 (AP News photo)  

By Daniel Dullum
Sunday, March 20, 2022

The Phoenix Suns continued their winning ways Sunday at Golden 1 Center, squeaking out a 127-124 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento has lost 10 of its last 13 games.

Landry Shamet sank a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in the extra period to put the league-leading Suns ahead to stay. Moments earlier, Damien Jones converted a put back to give Sacramento a 121-120 lead shortly after the Suns’ Devin Booker fouled out.

It was Shamet’s fifth 3-pointer of the game. He finished with 21 points, followed by Deandre Ayton with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Backup center JaVale contributed 14 points before fouling out in overtime.

After Mikal Bridges sank the second of two free throws, Jones made 1 of 2 from the stripe, Aaron Holiday got the rebound on the second free throw and Torrey Craig’s dunk sealed the game for Phoenix.

Booker’s jump shot put Phoenix ahead 110-108 with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but a layup by Davion Mitchell forced overtime.

Booker scored 19 of his 31 points in the third quarter as the Suns improved to 58-14, nine games ahead of Memphis in the overall NBA standings. There’s been a lot of pressure on Booker to pick up the slack while Chris Paul is sidelined with a broken right thumb, and sixth-man Cam Johnson is sidelined with a right quad contusion.

The Suns were also without backup point guard Cam Payne due to a non-COVID-19 illness, And Jae Crowder left the game with a right foot injury in the third quarter.

Mitchell had 28 points and nine assists for Sacramento while filling in for the injured De’Aaron Fox. Domantas Sabois added 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists before leaving the game with a possible left knee injury.

The Kings travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on Wednesday.

Warriors Lose In Final Seconds to Spurs 110-108

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San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) leads the charge after hitting the game winning shot at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors on Sun Mar 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Lose In Final Seconds to Spurs 110-108

By Barbara Mason

What will the Golden State Warriors look like without Stephen Curry taking the court for at last the next two weeks? The Warriors got their answer Sunday night when the Warriors (47-23) took on the San Antonio Spurs (27-44) in a two point loss 110-108 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

The Warriors know that everything including games won go way down without Curry playing. This means that everybody has to step their game up offensively and defensively. These guys need to be a fine-oiled machine when Curry does comes back for the playoffs. The team now has the time to gel and prepare for the post-season and Curry’s return.

The lineup for the Warriors in this game was a more than capable bunch with the expected Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney.

It was a very slow start for Golden State falling behind 22-10 in the first quarter. The Spurs were keeping the Warriors out of rhythm which resulted in so many missed shots for Golden State. This was the obvious game plan that the Spurs came in with. San Antonio led after the first quarter 36-22. The Warriors had four turnovers in the quarter and had a lot of work to do in the second quarter.

The Warriors cut the Spurs lead in the second quarter to four points but San Antonio quickly pulled back to a ten point lead. Golden State wanted to end the half on a high taking the momentum away from San Antonio.

The Warriors did cut the 14 point Spur lead to six. San Antonio had a beat-the-buzzer three point play to end the half leading 63-57. Despite that last play the Warriors did have to feel good after two quarters. They played with more energy and rhythm in the second quarter and needed to take that into the third.

As the third quarter got underway San Antonio proved hard to catch. Golden State had not led once in the game. The Warriors got within one point in the early minutes of the quarter but had yet to take the lead.

The one thing that the Warriors had going for them in this game was their offensive rebounding which was great with second and third chances. When it looked like the Warriors had a better rhythm going a miserable call on Green got Green ejected from the game and the Warriors were facing yet another challenge.

The Spurs took advantage of the fracas and took a ten point lead. The 12 turnovers that the Warriors had were not make things any easier for Golden State. The Warriors were fighting to stay within striking distance.

The Warriors were coming up with some stellar possessions but still trailed. With 27 seconds left in the third quarter, the Warriors took their first lead of the game 84-83. They took that lead into the fourth quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter there had been 23 Spur points off Warrior turnovers. This game would go down to the wire. With under three minutes left in the game it was all tied up at 101. San Antonio would foul Wiggins with three seconds left on the clock and the Warriors would take a 108- 107 lead. An unfortunate rebounding foul on Kevon Looney iced the game for San Antonio 110-108.

The Warriors had enough to win this game but it just didn’t happen. Poole finished with 28 points the high in this game. This was his ninth straight game with 20 or more points. Thompson had 24 points and off the bench Porter Jr. had 16 points and 16 rebounds. Great numbers for the Warriors. It’s a loss and it stinks but a lot of positives to take away from this game.

Next up for the Warriors will be the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PT.

Celts blowout Kings 126-97; Tatum leads with 32 in Boston victory

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is defended by Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Fri Mar 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night at Golden One Center. The Kings were welcoming in the Boston Celtics. The last game the Kings played was on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Kings lost to the Bucks and go no relief with another top-ranked NBA team coming into town on Friday. On Friday, the Kings lost to the Celtics in blowout fashion 126-97.

In the first quarter, the game went back and forth. The Celtics started the game off hot. The Celtics scored the first nine points in the first quarter. The Kings then came back to tie the game, but it was not long-lasting.

The Celtics then went on another run of their own to outscore the Kings 32-26 in the first quarter. It was a shaky first quarter for the Kings that would look to tighten up the defensive going forward in the game.

In the second quarter, the Celtics took over the game on the Kings. Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown went off in a massive second-quarter for the Celtics. The Kings we outscored by 35-22 in what was an embarrassing quarter.

However, you have to give the Celtics credit where credit is due. The duo of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown proved impossible to overcome.

The Kings were doing their best to stay in the game but the firepower of the Celtics was proving unbeatable in a game without De’Aaron Fox. The Kings would look to improve in the second half down 67-48.

In the third quarter, the Kings showed some life. The Kings scored 31 points in the third quarter to make a bit of a comeback push. On the other hand, the Celtics scored only 25 points to let the Kings inch a bit closer. Could the Kings continue their good play to make a comeback on the Boston Celtics? The Kings went into the final quarter down 92-79.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings showed fight early but were ultimately unable to mount much of a comeback on the Celtics. The Celtics outscored the Kings 34-18 in the final quarter to win the game by the final 126-97.

It was an ugly ending for the Kings in a game they didn’t have much hope of winning from the jump. The Celtics were led by Jason Tatum who finished with 32 points followed by Jaylen Brown who scored 30.

On the Kings side, Domantas Sabonis played a great game going for 30 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists. It was a great performance from the big man that unfortunately will go overshadowed by the Celtics blowout. The Kings will look to turn the page in their next game.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at 3 PM PST at Golden One Center.