Tag: NBA

Warriors Survive With a High Octane Finish against Nuggets 113-102

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A late second half basket by the Golden State Warriors Jordan Poole gets Stephen Curry (30) excited against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Survive With a High Octane Finish against Nuggets 113-102

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (45-22) took on the Denver Nuggets (40-27) in a game that screams deja vu. if you said hey didn’t we just play these guys Monday night the answer would be a resounding yes and the Warriors lost that one. They didn’t lose on Thursday night with a 113-102 win.

So here are the Warriors back in Denver for a second time in less than a week. The Warriors will have to find a way to contain Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets are currently in a tie for fifth place and a single game out of fourth place. They have a lot to play for in tonight’s game as does Golden State. The Warriors would like to get back into second place in the standings.

The Warriors had a fast start in this game and as expected Jokic was a huge presence throughout the quarter. The Warriors held a slim lead after the first quarter 30-29. The Nuggets came on strong in the second quarter winning it 31-21 and taking a 60-51 halftime lead.

The first two quarters were hotly contested. The Warriors were allowing too many open and uncontested Nugget looks which contributed to the Denver half time lead.

The Nuggets had taken a 14 point lead in the third quarter after the first four minutes of play. Momentum was clearly on their side. As we have seen so many time in the past however, momentum can turn on a dime. The Warriors waged a comeback as the quarter came to an end taking the lead in this game 88-84.

The fourth quarter was a high-octane affair for both teams. The Warriors led through seven minutes of the quarter. The Nuggets made a comeback tying up the game at 98. Denver would go one to take a slim lead before Jordan Poole iced the game.

Poole shot two from downtown with 54 seconds left on the clock and Golden State had survived a very tough challenge. They won this game.

Stephen Curry had a great game with 34 points and was five of 12 from downtown. Off the bench the hero of the game Jordan Poole had 21 points and was four of seven from downtown including the two critical shots in the final minute of the game. Golden State displayed some great defense especially in the fourth quarter.

Jokic was not hitting three’s tonight which made things awfully hard on Denver. The Warriors defense had a lot to do with the missed Jokic shots. He would finish with 23 points and zip from three point range.

This was a gritty, gutsy game that Golden State played, especially down the stretch. They did not fall apart, making critical baskets when desperately needed. The Warriors are now in second play tied with the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference.

This is a second win in a row for the Warriors and they hope to string a third on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Kings make run at Nuggets in third quarter but can’t catch Denver 106-100

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic makes for the hoop against Sacramento Kings center Alex Len (right) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Mar 9, 2022 (AP News photo)  

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (24-44) were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings welcomed the Denver Nuggets (40-26) into town. The Kings last played on Monday night which turned into an ugly blowout to the New York Knicks. The Kings played a solid first half against the Knicks, but fell apart in the second half to lose the game 131-115.

On Wednesday, the Kings were hoping for a different outcome against the formidable Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets beat the Kings 106-100 on Wednesday night. Lets take a look on what led to this result.

In the first quarter, it was the Nikola Jokic show for Denver and the Trey Lyles show for the Kings. Jokic started the game by scoring 15 points in the first quarter as his counterpart at the center position Trey Lyles scored 12. The Kings were outscored 31-29 in what was a competitive first quarter. The second quarter got ugly for the Kings.

In the second quarter, Nikola Jokic coninued to pour it on the Kings scoring nine points to get his total at halftime to 24 points. The Kings defense struggled to contain the Nuggets at large as they allowed them to score 31 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense didn’t pick up the slack on the offensive end.

The Kings scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a 63-51 deficit into halftime. Trey Lyles had a quiet second quarter but led the Kings in the first half with 14 points. The Kings were within striking distance if they could get back on track on the defensive end.

In the third quarter, De’Aaron Fox had his best quarter of the game. De’Aaron scored nine points in the third to lead all scorers. Nikola Jokic was hot on his heels but only managed seven points, Overall the Kings outpaced the Nuggets by the toon of 26-17 to get the game into toss up territory for either team to win. Could the Kings win the fourth and beat the favored Nuggets?

In the fourth quarter the Kings weren’t able to get the job done. It was a nail biting finish, but the Kings came up short by the final of 106-100. The Kings fought hard in the final quarter, but Nikola Jokic proved too much to overcome.

The Kings were outscored 26-24 in the final quarter as they just couldn’t edge the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic showed why he was the MVP of the league last year and is the leading candidate this season. Jokic finished with an impressive 38 points and 18 rebounds. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led the way scoring 32 points and adding ten assists.

Up Next: The Kings will look to rebound in their next games on Saturday against the Utah Jazz in Utah.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors were playing so bad they almost needed Will Ferrell’s help

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Actor Will Ferrell takes some practice shots Rick Barry style in front of Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry before their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Mar 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Actor Will Farrell took his act to the floor of Chase Center in San Francisco and took pre game practice with Golden State Warriors (44-22) superstars Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. It must have work Golden State had a five game losing streak going and all that laughing and getting loose helped the Warriors defeat the Los Angeles Clippers (34-33) Tuesday night 112-97.

#2 Dave, talk about that surprising top three of scorers for the Warriors on Monday night Jonathan Kuminga with 21 points, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole both finishing with 20 points.

#3 It’s off to Denver and the Nuggets (39-26) who are playing in Sacramento tonight and will face the Warriors on Thu Mar 10th at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets have now won nine out of their last ten games and got a big win over the Warriors on Monday night 131-124. The Warriors will be really going after the Nuggets on Thursday night.

Join David each Wednesday for the Warriors podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Break Five Game Losing Streak Beating Clippers 112-97

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The Golden State Warriors find that old magic again as Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scored on the Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Mar 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Break Five Game Losing Streak Beating Clippers 112-97

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (44-22) were back at Chase Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (34-33). Now, more than any other time this season, there is no place like home for this team.

They have lost nine of their last 11 games and they desperately need a win. As we approach the post-season, nothing is going to come easy for the Warriors and they will have to dig deep and fight for every game.

Never mind who is in what place in the standings. The Warriors just need to get back into the rhythm that they played with earlier in the season and the rest will take care of itself. Energy, execution and effort will be critical for Golden State going forward.

Tuesday night the starting roster welcomed back Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. Kevon Looney and Moses Moody round out the starting roster. Moody has really been putting on a show lately. Last night he finished with 30 points against the Nuggets: a brilliant game for the 19- year old.

After one quarter while the offense for the Warriors was mediocre without a single shot from downtown, the defense held the Clippers to 26% shooting. The score was tied after the first 12 minutes at 17.

The long ball did not drop for Golden State in the first quarter but they dropped a couple to start the second quarter. The Warriors started to make a move on Los Angeles as the quarter wore on taking a 43-26 lead.

The Warrior defense was outstanding and the offense was right on their heels. It was an outstanding quarter for Golden State going off offensively leading at the half 54-36 in this final game against the Clippers in the regular season. The Warriors continued their defensive assault on the Clippers holding them to 27% shooting in the second quarter.

Golden State kept their foot on the pedal through the third quarter leading 86-61 heading into the fourth quarter. They had held the Clippers to 29% through three quarters. You could not have asked for more offensively or defensively.

Heading into the fourth quarter memories still linger from the Mavericks game that saw Golden State relinquish a 21 point lead to lose the game.

The Warriors had a 29 point lead in the final quarter of this game that was reduced to an 11 point lead with under 15 minutes left in the game. Down the stretch the Warriors needed to finish this game strong.

Golden State finished off the Clippers 112-97 to snap their losing streak. The Warriors got some exceptional work from Jonathan Kuminga with 21, Curry and Poole both with 20 points.

They held the Clippers to 35% shooting; Golden State had six players with double digits. The Warriors needed to start this game with a strong defensive effort and they did just that. The Warriors did a great job defending one on one in this game.

As if Curry hasn’t broken enough records, he now owns the most steals in franchise history with 1363.

It’s now back on the road for the Warriors to take on the Denver Nuggets yet again. They lost to Denver just this past Monday 131-124. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00.

Kings suffer brutal loss in grand fashion to Knicks 131-115

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New York Knicks forward Julius Randall (30) gets the throw down against the Sacramento Kings in first half action at Golden One Arena in Sacramento Mon Mar 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings last played against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday night. It was a brutal loss for the Kings as the NBA admitted after the fact that the officials missed two critical calls down the stretch.

The Kings lost that game 114 to 113. On Monday night, the kings welcomed in the New York Knicks to Golden One Center in Sacramento. Tip off was set for 7:30 PM PST. Unfortunately, the Kings weren’t able to get the win and lost in grand fashion 131 to 115.

In the first half the Kings looked like they were going to run away with the game. The Kings office was firing on all cylinders as the Knicks offense struggled to put the ball in the basket. The Kings managed to score 33 points in the first quarter as the Knicks only scored 17 points.

In the second quarter the kings didn’t dominate but they held the Knicks back from taking a lead. The Knicks that scored the Kings 31 to 30 in the second quarter. The Kings would go into halftime with a 63 to 48 lead.

Leading the way in the first half was Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes who each had 13 points for the Kings. RJ Barrett lead the way in the first half for the Knicks with 15 points. The Kings would look to continue the strong play in the second half.

In the second half, it was a disaster for the Kings. Julius Randle absolutely went on a tear for the Knicks. The Kings were out scored 44 to 24 in the third quarter. It was a shocking display of poor defense from the Kings and limited shotmaking; a complete reversal from what we had seen in the first half. it wasn’t any better in the fourth quarter.

The final 12 minutes saw the kings be out scored 39 to 28 to Seal the loss 131 to 115. It was a terrible second half of basketball for the Kings that would have hoped for a better showing after a strong first half.

It was an alarming defensive display but at some point the cap needed to be tipped to Julius Randle. Randle finished the game with 46 points dwarfing the performance of De’Aaron Fox who scored 27. The Kings couldn’t match the intense offense from the Knicks in the second half.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Gutsy Warriors Fall Short To Denver 131-124;Golden State takes fifth straight loss

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, gets the ball away as Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center, and center Kevon Looney try to put pressure on Jokic at the Ball Center Arena in Denver on Mon Mar 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

Gutsy Warriors Fall Short To Denver 131-124

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Golden State Warriors (43-22) took on the Nuggets (39-26) in Denver. The Nuggets come into this game riding on an nine of ten winning streak. They are playing red-hot ball right now after an overtime win last night against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Nuggets captured a 131-124 win over the Warriors at the Ball Arena in Denver on Monday night.

The Warriors come into the game without four of their best players on the court. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are out for this game resting. They are waiting on word regarding Draymond Green.

The starting roster for the Warriors were Kevon Looney, Moses Moody, Jordan Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Damien Lee. The Warriors will have to limit the turnovers especially against a team that is playing so well right now and they will have to try to contain big man Nikola Jokic.

The Warriors had a nice start in the first quarter taking an early lead 14-9. The Nuggets starting forcing a few turnovers and Denver quickly caught up and took a 34-24 lead with 1:11 left in the first 12 minutes Denver took a 40-31 lead after one quarter.

Moses Moody led the Warriors shooting with 15 points and the rest of the Golden State starters had 11 combined points. Denver had shot at 70% in the opening quarter which could prove a problem if they continued at that pace.

The Warriors were able to pull to within five points in the second quarter and were doing their best to hang around in this game. Although the Nuggets continued shooting well, (at 62% in the quarter) the Warriors continued to handle business.

They trailed by a couple at the half 71-69. The efficient offensive effort for the Warriors was great. Moses Moody finished the half with 22 points and Kuminga had 12 off the bench. Poole got really hot in the second quarter with 11 points.

The Warriors continued to hang in the game. After three quarters they trailed 104-101. Golden State was putting on a feisty, gutsy show refusing to back down. Going into the fourth quarter mental lapses by the Warriors turned the tables. Denver was making them pay for any mistakes they committed.

The Warriors got within four points after trailing by double digits mid-way through the quarter. It was no surprise when the Nuggets turned to Jokic down the stretch. Golden State gave the Nuggets all they could handle but just came up short. The final was 131-124 in favor of Denver.

Golden State has to be proud of the effort that they put into this game. Poole had 32 points and Moody finished with 30 points. Kuminga had 16 points. Looney had 11 rebounds. The Warriors now sit in third place in the Western Conference.

Tuesday night the Warriors are back at it taking on the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. It will be great to be back home if only for one game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors on four game losing streak; Will try again in Denver tonight

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The call may not have gone the way Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James may have wanted as he’s seen here reacting after being called for a foul but he wound up scoring a team leading 56 points against the Golden State Warriors on Sat Mar 5, 2022 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Los Angeles Lakers (28-35) LeBron James had the hot hand against the Golden State Warriors (43-21) on Saturday night with a team leading 56 points and the Warriors had complications trying to shut his offensive game down.

#2 The Lakers 124-116 win snapped their four game losing streak it had to be a relief for a LA team with a tandem of superstars like LeBron, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony.

#3 For the Warriors it just seemed like a struggle to shut down LeBron’s game as LeBron said in the post game conference, “I felt pretty good with my game tonight, every part of the floor, and I was able to make a couple plays to help us win,”

#4 It was the third highest point total for the regular season for LeBron, For the Warriors it just seemed like a struggle to shut down LeBron’s game on the defensive side of the ball.

#5 Klay Thompson said his shot wasn’t falling and some even hit the backboard on Saturday night. How do you see Thompson and the Warriors as they match up tonight against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver.

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

Fourth Quarter Meltdown Hands Warriors Fourth Loss In A Row 124-116

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LeBron James who scored a game leading 56 points against the Golden State Warriors takes the ball against the Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Mar 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

Fourth Quarter Meltdown Hands Warriors Fourth Loss In A Row 124-116

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night two struggling teams were trying to set their ship right. The Golden State Warriors (43-21) took on the Los Angeles Lakers (28-36) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and fell to the Lakers 124-116. The Warriors have lost four in a row for the first time this season.

When the season started, the Warriors almost looked unbeatable and the Lakers with their impressive starters were actually picked to win the Western Conference. Fast forward and the Lakers are fighting to maintain a spot that will make them eligible for the play-in game. They have lost every game since the All-Star dropping four in a row.

The Warriors, although in a much better spot than Los Angeles, having been struggling losing seven of their last nine games. They are missing Draymond Green and right now there is no timetable for his return. Golden State does have the second best record in the NBA.

Before the game Magic Johnson was explaining exactly what has been happening with the Lakers and their lack of offense and defense. Everything that he said could have been applied to the Warriors as well. Both of these teams were hoping to turn things around tonight.

The first quarter was all Lakers as they took a 25-11 lead. They were pounding the Warriors in the paint and keeping the Warrior offense at bay. It was an ugly start for Golden State. As the quarter began to wind down the Warriors made a move cutting the Laker lead in half 32-25.

After the quarter Head Coach Steve Kerr was asked what he though of the first quarter. “I didn’t think much of it,” he said. “We didn’t put up much of a fight.” The way that Golden State ended the quarter was far better than their start.

The Warriors kept the pressure on the Lakers and at 7:12 in the second quarter had taken the lead 45-40. There had been a 24 point turnaround since the start of the game. The early Laker start had gone completely awry. After trailing by as much as 14 in the second quarter the Lakers made a move as the half came to an end trailing by the score of 67-62.

LeBron James had scored 26 points in the first two quarters. The high score for the Warriors was off the bench as Jordan Poole came away with 16 points. Stephen Curry had 14.

The Warriors continued to lead through the third quarter but it all turned around in the fourth. The Golden State offense began to stumble and LeBron hit a couple of three’s that gave the Lakers their first lead of the second half 100-97.

The Golden State defense needed to tighten up. The final seven minutes of this game was electrifying. Great offense and defense by both teams, a flurry of three’s and this game was up for grabs.

The Warriors had a meltdown in the final three minutes offensively and defensively. Giving the Lakers wide open looks was not going to win very many games and late game turnovers sealed the Warriors fate as they lost their fourth game in a row.

LeBron finished with an amazing 56 points. Curry had 30 points and Poole had 23 off the bench for the Warriors in just one of another disappointing game for Golden State. This loss coupled with the Memphis Grizzlies win dropped the Warriors into third place in the Western Conference.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Warriors as they take on the Denver Nuggets Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings rebound pick up big win in San Antonio on Thursday night

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Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) grabs a rebound over San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, right, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Thu Mar 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, talk about the Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes he had 27 points he was the go to guy as the Kings came away with a 115-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Thursday night.

#2 Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich had picked up his 1,334th career win but now have lost three straight games and it was an accomplishment that was none too easy for the Kings.

#3 The Kings got scoring help from De’Aaron Fox 26 points, Domantas Sobonis 12 points who also had 12 rebounds and fouled out of the game.

#4 It was the Spurs first home game since Feb 4th because of the San Antonio Rodeo. Could that have made a difference being away so long and given the Kings an advantage?

#5 The Kings head to Dallas and face a very physical and offensive Mavericks team lead by Luca Doncic on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm PST how do you see that match up?

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

Dallas Wins Season Series Beating Warriors 122-113; Golden State drops fifth out six games

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Luca Doncic (77) of the Dallas Mavericks keeps the ball away from the Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Thu Mar 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

Dallas Wins Season Series Beating Warriors 122-113

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (43-20) lost to the Dallas Mavericks (38-25) 122-113 and in a second meeting in less than a week. The way that Dallas is playing right now, they are very real contenders in the upcoming playoffs.

Sunday night after leading by 21 points going into the fourth quarter, the Warriors went cold losing to Dallas 107-101 in a 27 point turnaround. Lack of energy, execution and effort were the downfall of Golden State. Losing on their home court is something that we rarely see but it has been happening lately.

The Warriors tried their luck in the Mavericks building trying to even the score in these last three games. January 5th in Dallas the Warriors lost 99-82. Then again in January on the 25th, the Warriors manhandled the Mavericks 130-92.

That was then and this is now and the Warriors needed to get their act together. Jason Kidd has coached the Mavericks brilliantly and the Warriors need to impose their will instead of visa versa. Better execution and effort will be the order of the day in this game.

They needed to start hitting those open looks and if the three’s are not dropping they have to drive the basket, maybe draw some fouls and stop making the long ball the end all be all. Thursday the team needed help from Klay Thompson who returned to the court. In the one game that Golden State won this season against Dallas, Klay played.

The Warriors opened the first quarter working very hard defensively but it was a slow start offensively. The Mavericks got of to a great start leading 14-7 mid-way through the quarter. Luca Doncic was the driving force for Dallas shooting and drawing fouls. After a single quarter Doncic had scored 19 points. The Mavericks held a 38-27 lead and had shot 60% from the field.

The Mavericks became far too comfortable offensively in the first half. The Warriors had to do something to disrupt their flow in the second half. It was as if the Mavericks could not miss through two quarters. Dallas’ three point shooting was the difference in this game. The Mavericks held a 68-54 half-time lead.

The Warriors made up some ground in the third quarter which became a shooting marathon between both teams. With four minutes left in the quarter Doncic already had 35 points. The Mavericks were having their best three-point shooting night of the season with 15. The Mavericks maintained their lead after three 99-91. The Warriors had made up some ground but still had a lot of work to do.

After being 17 down the Warriors had tied up this game thanks to Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody dropping three’s. These rookies had come to play. With 6:26 left in the game and the score 104 apiece this was anyone’s game.

The Warriors put up a fight but just could not handle Doncic and company. Doncic finished with 41 points and the Mavericks had 17 from downtown in an amazing game. The Warriors had 15 from long which is not at all shabby.

It was just too little too late in yet another game that Golden State was unable to finish. “We did not start out the game the way that we wanted to,” said Head Coach Steve Kerr after the game. “We let him (Doncic) get going,” he said.

The Warriors had a great fourth quarter but it was just not enough to make up for the first half. Jordan Poole was the point leader in the game with 23 points.

It’s onto Los Angeles for the Warriors to take on the Lakers Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.