Tag: NBA

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings need to defend against Jokic and Nuggets tonight

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) gets a pass away as Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) tries to get an arm in to defend the pass at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets tip off with the Sacramento Kings (18-17) tonight in Denver. The Kings are coming off a 108-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings have lost seven of their last nine games.

#2 More from Wednesday’s game the Hawks Kevin Huerter led with 25 points and in the last 38 seconds of the game Huerter scored five points the Hawks grabbed a six point win over the Kings.

#3 Huerter had 11 rebounds getting his first double double this year for the Kings. Huerter was a tough customer to shut down all Wednesday night.

#4 The Hawks were short players due to them being on the Covid 19 protocols list and the Kings were on back to back games. The Hawks executed enough on offense just to get over the top for the win.

#5 The Kings are in Denver tonight. The Nuggets lost their last game on Wednesday night to the Utah Jazz 115-109. The Nuggets have played .500 ball having won six out their last six games.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts each Friday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Drop Second Game In a Row to Pelicans 101-96

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Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole lends a hand to guard Damion Lee in the first half of action against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans on Thu Jan 6, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Drop Second Game In a Row to Pelicans 101-96

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (29-9) are coming off of what is probably their worst game of the 2021-22 season. The entire roster struggled from the start of this game until the finish. It was just horrendous and it’s a game that was forgettable from the get go as the New Orleans Pelicans (14-25) defeated the Warriors 101-96.

Thursday night the team took on the Pelicans without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors are more than capable of winning this game without Curry and Green. Curry was resting a left quad injury and Green his sore hip.

The starting lineup for the game is notable with Otto Porter, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II and Jordan Poole. On top of that the Warriors have an amazing bench with Andre Iguodala, Jonathan Kuminga, Damian Lee and Nemanja Bjelica.

Tonight’s roster is more than enough to get past the Pelicans after the fluke of a game we saw last night. Here’s hoping that the disaster we saw in Dallas was the last of it’s kind this season.

The Warriors got on track as the first quarter reached the mid-way point and Golden State had a 22-16 lead at quarters end. In the second quarter, it looked like Golden State was working well together and having a lot of fun and a lot of success until the final four minutes of the half.

The Pelicans really turned on their offense with Brandon Ingram unable to miss finishing with 19 points. New Orleans was getting the ball to Ingram every chance they got. The Pelicans took the lead as the second quarter came to an end 47-46.

The Warriors were having a very good defensive game with Porter, Looney, Moody and Kuminga accounting for 18 of their 23 rebounds. Both teams were shooting 44% in the first half. Wiggins had 11 points in the first half with the remainder of the starters only hitting seven points combined. The Warriors needed a lot more offense from a lot more players in the second half and they needed to shut Ingram down.

Five minutes into the third quarter Golden State took back the lead after trailing by six points 57-56. They got back in front from the free throw line. The lead was short-lived by the Warriors and the Pelicans led by 75-72 after three quarters. In the third quarter it was Andrew Wiggins and Damien Lee who were keeping Golden State in this game.

The Pelicans continued to dominate in the fourth quarter and led 90-82 with three minutes left in the game. Much as in the last game, the Warriors offense was killing them. Another subpar team was beating Golden State. The Warriors were 5 of 30 from downtown, not a winning formula. The only way to describe this game by the Warriors was an offensive power outage two games in a row.

The Warriors got something going but it was too little too late with less than a minute left in the game. New Orleans came away with the win 101-96 in another shocker. This is the first time this season that the lost Warriors two games in a row.

Mama said there’d be days like this and for the Warriors two days in a row like this. They now have two days off in a row to watch film and relax before they get back to work on Sunday.

The game that everyone has been anticipating for weeks now will be played on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. There will be a lengthy practice on Saturday and supposedly it will be after that practice that the starting roster will be determined. The Warriors will just have to wait and see how that roster looks on Sunday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM

Warriors Offense Falls Short in Loss to Dallas 99-82

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry who desperately was reaching out for the ball was held to only 14 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Wed Jan 5, 2022 in Dallas (AP News photo)

Warriors Offense Falls Short in Loss to Dallas 99-82

By Barbara Mason

While it is near to impossible to ignore the excitement that is brewing in the land of the Warriors there are still two important games that have to be focused on right now. First up for Golden State (29-8) is the Dallas Mavericks (2-18). The major challenge for Golden State in this game would be the huge presence of Luca Doncic. The Warriors failed that challenge and took a 99-82 loss in Dallas on Wednesday night.

The first quarter of this game was about as tight a game as you could wish for as well as fairly low scoring; tied at 21. The second quarter began as much as the first had ended. The teams would trade baskets and remain within a point or two of each other until the final four minutes of the half. The Mavericks got their offense going and put a number of stops on the Warriors. At the half Dallas held a 50-39 lead.

The only player on the floor with double digits in the the first half was Luca Doncic with 15 points. The high score for the Warriors was Damien Lee with seven points off the bench.

This was a very ugly start for Golden State with ten turnovers and 1 of 15 from downtown. Doncic was able to do as he pleased in the first half. The Warriors would have to contain this guy in the second half and not let him dictate the game.

It was a sight for sore eyes when Stephen Curry opened the third quarter with a three. The Warriors came out with some much needed energy in the quarter. The Warriors had mounted a 19-3 run through the first ten minutes of play in the third. The Warriors had built a slim lead with four minutes left in the quarter 63-61. Although the Warriors outscored the Mavericks 28-20 in the third quarter they still trailed 70-67.

The Warriors would need all onboard in the fourth quarter to win this game and with four minutes left they were not getting it done. Golden State was holding the Mavericks to 36% shooting so the defense was getting the job done; it was the offense for the Warriors that was falling flat on their face.

This was probably one of the worst offensive showings of the season for Golden State. They couldn’t buy a basket despite getting a lot of good looks. Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points and Curry with 14. This was just one of those nights when the entire team was off.

The team will now head to the Big Easy for a meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Huerter puts the hurt on Kings leads Hawks with 25 points in 108-102 win over Kings

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Atlanta Hawks guard Kevin Huerter (3) is blocked by Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24), Huerter went on to lead the Hawks with 25 points at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–Tuesday review:The Sacramento Kings (16-24) were back in action on Wednesday evening in Sacramento. The Kings took a brief trip away from Golden One Center to play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Kings played hard against the Lakers, but ultimately, an unfortunate clock malfunction and error by De’Aaron Fox along with typical Lebron James scoring did in the Kings 122-114 on Tuesday night.

Wednesday night recap: On Wednesday, the Kings welcomed the Atlanta Hawks (17-20) to Golden One Center. The Kings fell to the Hawks 108-102 on Wednesday night at Golden One Center.

In the first quarter, the game was off to a slow start. The Kings and the Hawks were coming off a game the night before. The Kings played the night before in Los Angeles, and it showed in the first quarter.

The Kings defense looked tired as they were outscored by the Hawks 33-24 in the first quarter of action. The Hawks offense looked like it was firing on all cylinders, and the defense didn’t look bad either. The Kings would need to ramp up the intensity in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings defense did a better containing the Hawks offense. The Kings held the Hawks to only 21 points in the second quarter. Unfortunately, the Kings couldn’t pick it up on the offensive end.

The Kings also scored 21 points in the second quarter to match the Hawks. The Kings were led in the first half by Buddy Hield, who scored 11 points. The Hawks were led in the first half by Delon right, who scored 11 points. The Kings would take a 54-45 deficit into the second half, looking to turn the tide in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings played their best quarter of the game. The Kings outscored the Hawks 30-24 as the Kings improved on the offensive end. Typically, the Kings collapse in the third quarter, but this one was different. The Kings showed an encouraging poise to cut into the deficit. Could the Kings complete the comeback in the final quarter? The Kings went into the fourth quarter down 78-75.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings played hard but ultimately fell short against the Hawks. Atlanta outscored the Kings 30-27 in the final quarter, and it was too much for the Kings to overcome. As a result, the Kings fell to the Hawks 108-102. The Kings as a unit struggled to score on Wednesday night. The best performances came from De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 30 and 24, respectively.

Buddy Hield scored 11 points on the night, but those all came in the first half; he went scoreless in the second half. Kevin Huerter led the way for the Hawks as he scored 25 points on the night. It was a disappointing loss for the Kings since they faced an undermanned Atlanta Hawks team. The Kings fell to 16-24, and the Hawks improved to 17-20 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Friday at 6 PM PST.

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Browns Baker could be lost for rest of season; Titans Dupree charged with misdemeanor assault; plus more

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Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller (77) and offensive tackle James Hudson (66) pick up quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) last Mon Jan 3, 2022 at Heinz Field in Cleveland (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong:

#1 Jessica, the Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is having shoulder surgery and the Browns won’t wait it will be as soon as possible. Mayfield will not play this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. The surgery will for a torn labrum in his non throwing left shoulder.

#2 Jessica, the Tennessee Titans linebacker Bud Dupree has been charged with misdemeanor assault after some individuals came back into a Walgreens store in Nashville after having an argument with a 20 year old male employee last Sun Jan 2. It was reported that Dupree grabbed the employee’s phone who was filming the incident. A male and female employee ended up getting cuts. The male employee on the forehead and the female employee on the hands. The Titans said they are aware of the situation. Dupree and the Titans had just won earlier that day defeating the Miami Dolphins 34-3.

#3 Jessica, the railing collapsed right after the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team concluded their game last Sunday in Washington in an Eagles 20-16 win. As Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was exiting the railing collapsed and six fans fell six feet. Hurts ended up helping one of the fans and was afraid someone could have seriously got hurt. Hurts wrote to NFL vice president Brian McCarthy and the Washington Football Team about the incident and McCarthy assured Hurts that the league will look into with Washington and promised nothing like this will happen again.

#4 There is certainty that the Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson will join the Warriors after two and a half years of recovering from a torn left ACL and right Achilles tear missing two seasons. Thompson is expected back in the line up against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday Jan 9th at Chase Center in San Francisco.

#5 Big effort by the Atlanta Hawks Trae Young who scored 56 points but the Hawks ended up losing to the visiting Portland Trailblazers 136-131. Young had a hot hand going 17-26 and 7-12 on three pointers. What more does Young has to do to prove that’s a core player on the Hawks.

Join Jessica for Headline Sports every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fourth Quarter Comeback Beats Sacramento, Lakers defeat Kings 122-114

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Forward LeBron James (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a fade away shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Maurice Harkless (8) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Jan 4, 2022 (AP News photo)

Fourth Quarter Comeback Beats Sacramento, Lakers defeat Kings122-114

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings played a tight game coming up short as the clock ran out. Despite the loss the Kings had some great play by Fox, Hield and Barnes.

Tuesday night the Sacramento Kings (16-23) traveled down south to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (20-19) at Crypto.com Arena. While the Lakers are favored in this matchup, the Kings are coming off a nice win over the Miami Heat last Sunday. The Lakers wound up with the win the final was 122-114 in Los Angeles.

The Kings have had their ups and downs all season but the win over the Heat could really go far in the confidence department for the team. They could really use a generous dose of confidence having lost their last four road games.

The Kings will be leaning heavily on DeA’aron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Jones and Marvin Bagley along with bench standout Buddy Hield who had 26 against the Heat. This is an extremely talented roster that just has had a tough time this year.

Sacramento had a nice start in the first quarter of this game leading 31-26. The Lakers came back from their slow start in the first quarter to take the lead in the second quarter. The Kings refused to go away and at halftime had fought their way into the lead 59-57.

It was a wild back and forth game through the third quarter. The Lakers held a slim 85-83 lead going into the final quarter. Fox and Hield had been great for Sacramento in fact giving them a real chance to win this game.

The Kings had the lead going into the final four minutes of this game. The Lakers and the Kings began to trade shots in this see-saw game. Lebron James really got the Lakers going in the final two minutes dropping a couple of baskets and giving his team a 118-112 lead with 51 ticks left on the clock. LeBron finished as the top scorer of the game with 31 points.

It was a tough loss for the Kings after having led for much of the game. Fox finished with 30 points and off the bench Hield had 26. The Kings just were not able to close out this game.

Friday night the Kings will take on the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Tipoff is at 6:00 PM PT

Poole Leads Warriors To Win Over Heat 115-108

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Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Jan 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

Poole Leads Warriors To Win Over Heat 115-108

By Barbara Mason

Just when we were all wondering when we would see Draymond Green back in the lineup, we got our answer Monday night when the Warriors (29-7) took on the Miami Heat (23-15). The Warriors would need him against a very tough Miami team .The Warriors would overcome, the final was 115-108.

Golden State would play a near perfect first quarter leading 33-25. They had shot 57% and had six from downtown. In the second quarter the Warriors led by as much as 13 points but the Heat would dissolve that lead and tie up the game mid-way through the quarter. Miami had scored nine unanswered points. After two quarters the Warriors took back the lead 59-54 at halftime.

Green was spectacular in the half with 10 assists. Andrew Wiggins led the pack with 16 points followed by Jordan Poole with 14 points. Golden State had 8 shots from downtown and only had four turnovers.

The Heat had a bit of a issue in the first quarter on defense. The most pressing issue for Miami were the turnovers which the Warriors took full advantage of. Some were uncharacteristic while some were due to the Warriors defense.

This is what hurt the Heat the most. What had kept them in this game was the play of Jimmy Butler who scored 12 points and Kyle Lowry with 11 points. The three point shooting really got on track for Miami in the second quarter. The Heat are also short-handed as are many teams across the league. They have five out with injury and five out on Covid protocol.

The Warriors would have a lot of work to do in the second half. As the third quarter began to wind down the Heat had a terrible loss as Jimmy Butler rolled his right ankle and was helped to the Miami locker room.

Butler was a huge part of keeping the Heat in this game and had shot 22 points just prior to his injury. After three quarters the Warriors led 89-82. With the Warriors doing so much so well it was a testament to the great play by the Heat to even stay close.

With 5:36 remaining in the fourth quarter the Warriors were holding onto a 106-100 lead trying to put away the Heat who had been stubborn all quarter in the absence of Butler and refused to go away. In the final four minutes of this game the Warriors kept coming up with stop after stop while the Golden State offense had come unglued. Poole had an amazing run with 32 points as they completely closed out the Heat.

The Warriors really cashed in by using Stephen Curry as a decoy in this game. Golden State has plenty of power when it comes to shooting from downtown so this strategy worked out well for the Warriors. The defense led by Green was superior and the offensive play of the Warriors was amazing. Poole with 32 points, Wiggins with 22, and Payton with 14 led the team.

The Warriors will be taking on the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday at Smoothie King Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors tip off against Heat tonight; Miami coming off tough loss in Sacramento Sun night

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Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney (5) looks to take a shot against the Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Sat Jan 1, 2022. The Warriors host the Miami Heat tonight Mon Jan 3, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, the Golden State Warriors (28-7) had to pour it on in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s game against the Utah Jazz (26-10) down by the fourth quarter the Warriors scored 37 points and came away with a 123-116 win.

#2 The Warriors contest in Denver was called off due to the Nuggets having a lack of players below eight eligible players and the Warriors needless to say were none too happy to come all the way out get on the floor taking some practice shots and get notice that the game was canceled last Thursday.

#3 Barbara, with that postponed game in mind the Warriors take off from Denver Thursday night and get into Utah for Saturday night’s battle and come back from behind and inspite of it all Warrior head coach Steve Kerr has been proud how they’ve been able to hold it together.

#4 Klay Thompson practiced for the first time with Stephen Curry before Saturday night’s game in Utah, Kerr said that the two were smiling and just glad to see each other out on the floor together it’s been 2 1/2 years.

#5 The Miami Heat (23-14) come to Chase Center in San Francisco on tonight, the Heat lost a tough contest to the Sacramento Kings (16-22) on Sunday night 115-113.

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

Kings deliver again edge Heat 115-113 at Golden One; Sac has won three of last four games

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Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) pushes the ball against the Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (35) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Jan 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday afternoon for the first game of 2022. The Kings last played on Friday afternoon as they took on the Dallas Mavericks at home. On Friday, the Kings played a terrible game against the Mavericks that saw them lose 112-96.

It was summed up post-game by Kings head coach Alvin Gentry who said, “If anyone needs me, I’ll be at home drinking.” It was a rough game that the Kings showed no effort. On Sunday, the Kings would look to clean up the action on the court as they welcomed in the Miami heat at 3 PM PST. The Kings defeated the Heat at home 115-113 on Sunday afternoon.

It was a weird first quarter in Sacramento. Neither team seemed like they could find a rhythm on the offensive end of the ball. However, the Kings did outscore the Heat 26-18 in the first quarter.

The Kings defense was playing well from the outset, and the Heat also were not hitting their shots. The Kings could take advantage of this in the first quarter and hoped to keep up the defensive pressure as the game continued.

In the second quarter, the defense crumbled. The Kings allowed the Heat to go off for 39 points in the second quarter and put the Kings lead in jeopardy. The Kings countered with 35 points of their own which preserved the lead.

It was a defensive nightmare for the Kings, almost giving up 40 points in a quarter. The saving grace for the Kings was that Miami didn’t play much defense either. The Kings would go into halftime with a 61-57 lead. Damian Jones led the way for the Kings in the first half with 14 points. Kyle Lowry led the Heat with 14 first-half points.

It wasn’t a complete meltdown for the Kings in the third quarter. Nonetheless, the third quarter was not kind to the Kings. While avoiding the breakdown, the Kings were outscored in the third quarter, 33-29.

However, the Kings went on a run towards the end of the quarter to avoid going into the fourth down. The score would be tied 90-90 going into the final 12 minutes of action against the Heat in Sacramento.

In the fourth quarter, the game was up for grabs. Both teams traded baskets until the score was 113-113 with 26.6 seconds to go. De’Aaron Fox would be fouled on a drive and make both of his free throws to make it 115-113.

The Heat had one final play with 6.2 seconds left. Jimmy Butler drove to the rim and missed his floater, and the Kings would win the game as time expired 115-113. It was a gritty win for the Kings, who had ample opportunity to implode.

Instead, they held their own and ended the Heat’s five-game winning streak. De’Aaron Fox played a significant role for the Kings down the stretch and finished the game with 24 points. Buddy Hield added 26 points for the Kings during the win. Tyler Herro led the way for the Heat in defeat as he scored 22 points along with Omer Yurtseven.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Los Angeles on Tuesday to take on the Lakers at 7:30 PM PST.

Warriors Reverse Third Quarter Meltdown To Beat Jazz 123-116

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Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) throws down against the Utah Jazz on Sat Jan 1, 2022 in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

Warriors Reverse Third Quarter Meltdown To Beat Jazz 123-116

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Golden State Warriors (28-7) took on the Utah Jazz (26-10) to start off the New Year. This was the second year in a row that Golden State has played on New Years Day. They came into Utah from Denver where they were unable to play the Nuggets due to the inability of Denver to fill out an eight man roster. Golden State won this game 123-116 in a wild fourth quarter in which both teams played at a high level.

The Nuggets had a multitude of injuries coupled with players on covid protocol. The decision to postpone this game came very late in the day, a real frustration for Golden State.

After all the confusion in Denver the Warriors headed to Utah to take on a very tough Jazz team. The team has faced adversity before this season and would have to dig deep to get past Utah who was slightly favored in this game.

After one quarter Golden State led by the score of 29-24. They had shot 46% and came into this game playing fast and strong. It was a nice start for the Warriors, a team that is a third and fourth quarter team. As we have seen time and time again, every attempt was being made to take Stephen Curry out of the game.

Taking Curry out of any game is easier said than done and the Jazz found this out as the second quarter wore on. He will shoot over you and he will find a way to defeat any attempt to slow him down. The Warriors had a 13 point lead mid-way through the second quarter.

Having Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins back gave Golden State the increased depth that we are used to seeing. The offensive effort that we saw from the Warriors in the first half was the difference in this game so far.

The Jazz cut the 13 point lead to five as the quarter began to wind downs but Andrew Wiggins put a stop to Utah’s bid. He finished the half with 17 points. Otto Porter had an amazing half with 16 points, and with two quarters in the books the Warriors led 64-50.

Whatever was said in the Jazz locker room at the half it resonated because they came out on fire. They outscored the Warriors 41-22 in the third quarter The Jazz are the number one team in the league in third and fourth quarter scoring so Golden State had their work cut out for them in the final quarter.

The Warriors sure rallied in the fourth quarter in a masterful offensive display. Golden State held their ground offensively and defensively in the absence of Draymond Green.

Curry finished the game with 28 points, six from downtown. Wiggins had a great game with 25 points. He had eight points in a row in the final four minutes which reversed the course of this game. Otto Porter had 20 points so a great showing from the Warriors this evening. Jordan Poole and Andre Iguodala both had double digits off the bench. This was as impressive a win as I have seen all season from this team.

The Warriors will now head home for a game against the Heat at Chase. The tipoff Monday night is scheduled for 7:00PM.