Tag: NBA

Warriors hang on down Jazz 119-116; Curry gives it his all again scores 36

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes the ball down court against the Utah Jazz on Mon May 10, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (36-33) met the Utah Jazz (50-19) Monday night at the Chase Center. The Jazz, winners of five straight games, had their sights on avenging the 131-119 loss to the Warriors on March 14th. The Jazz entered the game with the best record in the Western Conference, 50-18.

The Warriors were fighting to remain in eighth place in the Western Conference. It felt as if it were the first game of the playoffs: the Jazz, the only team in the NBA in the top five offensively and defensively. The Jazz entered the game averaging 17 threes a night.

They had the best record, defending the opposing team’s three-point efforts. Both teams were missing key places. Utah’s point guard, Michael Conley, was out with a hamstring injury. The other guard, Donovan Mitchell, was not able to play due to an ankle injury.

The Warriors were missing Daminon Lee due to Covid-19. Kelly Oubre, Jr was out with a torn ligament in his wrist, and Eric Paschall, slated to return on May 11th, sat out with a hip problem. With the two Utah guards out, the Warriors knew the Jazz would commit turnovers.

Could the Warriors capitalize on their miscues? The answer was yes. The Warriors defense forced 15 Utah turnover that translated into 26 points for the Warriors. The Warriors knew that they had to find a way to stop Utah in the fourth quarter. The Jazz averaged 31 points in the last period. Utah put pressure on the Warriors defense as they poured in 41 points in the last 12 minutes. Stephen Curry answered with a three to lead the Warriors to a hard-fought 119-116 win.

Utah’s head coach Quin Snyder assigned Royce O’Neale to guard Curry for most of the first half. O’Neale threw a blanket over Curry as he attempted his three-point shots. Curry started the game with a three. He did not make another three in the first half.

The first half was very close. Neither team would give an inch. The Warriors finished the first period leading 31-30. The second period was a defensive struggle. The Warriors won the quarter by four points to finish the first half with a five-point advantage 54-49. Curry led the Warriors with 15 points. Draymond Green had ten. Andrew Wiggins helped out with eight. Jordan Poole and Kent Bazemore each had seven. The Jazz leading scorers were Bojan Bogdanovic with 15, and Jordan Clarkson, coming off the bench, had 12.

The Warriors won the third quarter 35-26 to finish the third period leading by 14 points, 89-75. Curry had his magic working as he poured in 14 points in the period. Kent Bazemore helped out with ten. Jordan Poole made the shot of the night as he made a 55-foot three-point shot as the buzzer sounded to end the third period. The Warriors didn’t know it at the time, but that three-pointer turned out to be huge.

With the second unit on the floor, the Warriors increased the lead to 17, 94-77. The Jazz kept chipping away at the lead. The Warriors could not stop Utah’s, Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson, a candidate for sixth-man of the year, kept making baskets. He couldn’t make a three in the first half. He made several in the fourth quarter. The Jazz closed to within seven, 122-105, with three minutes left to play.

Their defense continued to stop the Warriors offense. Utah tied the game 112-112. The Jazz went ahead briefly 113-112. Bazemore made a basket to make it 114-113. Clarkson hit a three, and the Jazz led 116-114 with 29 seconds left to play. Curry answered with a three to give the Warriors the advantage 117-116 with 13.4 seconds left. The Warriors had to find a way to stop the Jazz.

They did. Utah did not score on their possession after Curry’s bucket. The Jazz fouled Curry, and he made the two free throws to give the Warriors a three-point lead 119-116 with five seconds left. The Warriors had to stop Utah from tying the game with a three-pointer. They focused on Bogdanovic as the player to defend. The Warriors forced a turnover to win the game 119-116.

Game Notes and Stats-With the win, the Warriors improve to 36-33. They are in eighth place in the Western Conference. Utah is now 50-19 for the year.

Curry’s line was 36 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Curry was 11-for-25 from the floor, and he was three-for-13 from downtown. It was the 37th game that Curry had 30 or more points. The Warriors had four other players in double figures. Jordan Poole added 20 points in 18 minutes of playing time.

Bazemore had 19, Wiggins 14, and Green had 12. Green had a double-double with ten assists, too. Kevon Looney finished the night with 13 rebounds. The third game in a row for Looney with double-digit rebounds, the first time in his career. The team shot 47% from the floor. They made 14 threes in 42 tries.

Jordan Clarkson had a big night with 41 points for Utah. He was 16-for-33 from the floor and connected on five threes. Bogdanovic had 26 points and four threes. The Warriors defense held Rudy Gobert to 10 points. Royce O’Neale was the only other Jazz player in double figures with 10.

The Warriors meet the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Kings Destroy OKC 126-98

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The Sacramento Kings Maurice Harkless (8) scores on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s  forward Aleksej Pokusevski (17) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun May 9, 2021 (AP News photo)

Kings Destroy OKC 126-98

By Barbara Mason

While it has been a disappointing season for the Sacramento Kings they have been playing some pretty good basketball in their past few games. They have been good in the absence of DeAaron Fox who was cleared to rejoin the team two days ago.

With only four game left in the season a good finish would be something for fans to take with them into the next season, a season that will more than likely have a larger crowd able to attend games. It would also be nice for fans to be able to see Fox in the final four but he is not playing tonight and there is no certainty about the final three.

Rookie Tyrese Haliburton is out for the season with a knee injury. The good news is that the injury is not as serious as previously thought. He avoided what could have been a very significant injury. Buddy Hield was back after being cleared.

Tonight the Kings took on the OKC Thunder. The Kings are in twelfth place and the Thunder in thirteenth place. Neither team will be making an appearance in this year’s playoffs.

In the first quarter of this game the Kings came out strong and as the clock ran out they led by the score of 33-25. They had at one time during the quarter led by twelve points. Maurice Harkless had the high score for the quarter with 12 points.

At the half, the Kings had really taken control of the game and led by the score of 71-51. Harkless finished the half with 16 points and Buddy Hield had entered the game in the first quarter. Terence Davis was terrific off the bench with 13 points in twelve minutes of play.

After three quarters the Kings led by an impressive 106-71. The final score was 126-98. The Kings clearly dominated in this game although the Thunder did outscore them in the fourth quarter 27-20. The bench was instrumental in this win with 51 points.

The Kings will be back on court Tuesday night taking on OKC one more time. Tipoff is at 7:00PM.

Warriors crush OKC Thunder 136-97; Curry unstoppable with 49 points

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Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) hits a three pointer while being defended by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Roby (22) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat May 8, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oklahoma City Thunder had the misfortune of playing the Warriors two days after the Warriors beat them by 21 points Thursday night. The Warriors’ all-world performer, Stephen Curry, had another magnificent game.

Curry had all his shots working for him as he led the Warriors to a blowout win 136-97 over the young OKC team. Curry started the game with two threes to give the Warriors an early 6-0 win. He showed the fans and every in the NBA that he continues to be the best shooter in the league’s history. Curry finished the night with 11 threes in 21 tries. The OKC players had to be thankful they don’t play the Warriors again this season.

The Thunder’s only lead came early in the first period. They led 10-8. Curry, along with Draymond Green and Juan Toscano-Anderson, kept the barrage of threes coming. Curry finished with five from downtown in the first quarter. Green had a three-pointer and five points total in the period. JTA was a force on both ends of the court. The Warriors won the quarter 37-25.

The Warriors’ second unit with Jordan Poole, Mychael Mulder, Kent Bazemore kept the pedal on the gas tank. The Warriors led OKC 55-35 when Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Curry checked in. Green made two threes. Curry connected on his sixth three of the first half, and the Warriors led by 25 points 74-48.

The Thunder, if they had any chance to win the game, had to win the third quarter. It was not going to be easy as Curry and the first unit were on the floor to start the period. The Warriors stopped the OKC offense as Golden State won the third quarter 33-19 to increase to lead 106-67. The game was over. A team can’t overcome a 39-point deficit with 12 minutes left to play.

Curry and Green did not have to play in the fourth quarter. Most players in the NBA are probably drooling over Curry’s performance. Curry’s brother, Seth, tweeted him to “cut it out.” Curry played 29 minutes and finished with 49 points and 11 threes. The Warriors second unit increased led by 48 132-84. The Thunder’s reserves outscored the Curry by seven the rest of the way. The Warriors win 136-97.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors improve to 35-33 with four games left in the regular season. The Warriors are in eighth place in the Western Conference. OKC falls to 21-47. They are in 13th place in the Western Conference

As mentioned above, Curry led the team with 49. Andrew Wiggins finished with 18. Green had another double-double with 15 points, five rebounds, and 13 assists. Kevon Looney tallied three points, but he pulled down twelve rebounds. Juan Toscano-Anderson scored 12 points to go along with nine boards and five assists. Juan was two-for-six from downtown. Jordan Poole had 16 points. He connected on four threes. Mychal Mulder made three threes for nine points. 

The Warriors shot 58% from the floor. They shot 50% from the three-point range. They were 27-for-54 from downtown. The Warriors outrebounded the Thunder 54-47. The Warriors recorded 31 assists on 47 made field goals. The offense was humming Saturday night.

Svi Mykhailuk led the OKC offense with 17 points. Luguentz Dort had 16, Darius Bazley 11, Kenrich Williams 13, Jaylen Hoard 13, and Theo Maledon 10.

The Warriors face the Utah Jazz Monday night. It will be a tougher task for the Warriors as the Jazz own the best record in the Conference 50-18. The Warriors beat the Jazz the last time the two teams met. The Jazz’ Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have a score to settle with the Warriors. 

The game will be at the Chase Center Monday Night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Spurs end five game skid and Kings four game win streak with 113-104 win

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The San Antonio Spurs came up with a nine point victory over the Sacramento Kings on Fri May 7, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (@spurs photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night. They last played on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. The Kings would look to keep their momentum going having four in a row. The kings and Spurs entered the game both vying for the 10th spot and to get into the play in tournament. The Spurs held the spot and were multiple games up on the Kings entering play. However, before we talk about Friday’s game let’s discuss the Kings against the Pacers.

Flashback Wednesday: The Kings played the Pacers on Wednesday and played one of the better games of the season. Sacramento’s defense held the Pacers to only 93 points as the Kings offense put up a cool 104. It was the Kings fourth win in a row as they looked to inch closer in the playoff race.

Friday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the conference standing rivals on Friday at 7PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, the Kings held their own. In the first quarter the Kings were outscored 25-21, but looked solid and San Antonio didn’t have a lot of momentum. In the second quarter, the Kings managed to outscore the Spurs 28-27 but it wasn’t enough to grab the lead going into halftime. The Kings entered halftime down 52-49. If the Kings would want to stay in the playoff hunt they would need to win in comeback fashion.

In the second half, the Kings started off well. They managed to outscore the Spurs in the third quarter 32-26 to grab the lead heading into the final quarter of play. However, the Spurs mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter out scoring the Kings 35-23. That would put the Spurs over the top and defeating the Kings 113-104 in Sacramento. The game most likely marked the end of any playoff hopes for the Kings as this was the team they desperately needed to make ground up on. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was Terence Davis who scored 24 points. The Spurs were led in victory by DeMar DeRozan who had 25 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings bring in four game win streak/Spurs a five game losing streak for tonight’s game

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Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) is expected to be back tonight after spending two weeks on the Covid-19 protocols list (NBA Analysis Network file photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings winners of seven of their last ten games and have won four straight a remarkable come back after losing nine straight games.

#2 The odds of the Kings making the post season not likely but when you consider the last seven wins and what they did to get them it seems like head coach Luke Walton had to rework the offense and defense.

#3 Marvin Bagley III led the way with 31 points in the Kings last game in Indiana. Bagley’s effort was key for the Kings win 104-93 against the Pacers.

#4 De’Aaron Fox whose been out for two weeks due to Covid-19 protocols is expected to return tonight against the San Antonio Spurs at the Golden One with the Kings playing the way they have been Fox would be another great addition to their charge.

#5 San Antonio head coach Gregg Poppovich is a competitor and as Walton knows he can be outsmarted too by Poppovich. The Spurs who are on a five game losing streak will be pushing hard to win this one tonight how do you see this match up as the Kings come in on a four game win streak?

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

Warriors start final six games of season with win over Oklahoma City 118-97

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) jumps after taking a three point shot that misses in the first half against Oklahoma City Thunder defender Isiah Roby (22) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu May 6, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors Warriors (34-33) started the final stretch of the regular NBA season with a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-46) Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors lead wire to wire to win 118-97. The Warriors were facing a team that had gone from a team with title aspirations several years ago to a team hoping to rebuild through the draft.

Under head coach Mark Daigneault, the Thunder came into Thursday night’s game with a record of 21-45. OKC is tied with Orlando for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. They are one game better than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the third-best odds in the draft lottery.

The Thunder’s best play, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, did not play due to a tear in his plantar fascia. Most of the players in the Thunder’s starting lineup have names not well known to Warriors fans. Their starters are Darius Bazley, Kaguentz Dort, Moses Brown, Isaiah Roby, and Theo Maledon.

Behind Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Kent Bazemore, the Warriors finished the first quarter leading 31-23. The Warriors second unit kept the Thunder from closing the gap. OKC closed within four 44-40. Curry came back onto the court and hit a couple of threes to help the Warriors finish the first half with a 12-point lead 61-49. Curry led the team with 17 points.

In the third quarter, Curry put another 17 points on the board. Curry connected four times from downtown. The Warriors increased the lead to 16 88-72 after three periods of play.

The Warriors second unit was in control for the entire fourth quarter. Steve Kerr did not have to use Curryuntil late in the period. Mychal Mulder rained down threes on the Thunder. He connected on five threes. Mulder’s hot hand led the Warriors to a 25-point advantage 108-83. Jordan Poole and Mulder finished the scoring for Golden State as they won 118-97.

Game Notes and Stats-With the win, the Warriors are 34-33 for the year. They are in eighth place in the Western Conference 1/2 game ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder’s record is 21-46.

Curry had another game with more than 30 points. Curry finished the night with 34 points, four rebounds, and seven assists. He was 11-for-21 from the floor, and he made six threes in 13 attempts. Mulder had quite a night. Mulder’s knocked down 25 points.

Mulder was 9-for-15 from the floor, and he made seven threes in 13 tries. Other players in double figures were Andrew Wiggins with 18, Poole 14, and Kent Bazemore with 13. Draymond Green’s line was five points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Kevon Looney pulled down ten boards.


The Warriors shot 49% from the floor. They made 19 threes. The Warriors outrebounded the Thunder 58-45. Golden State recorded 36 assists on 42 field goals. The stat indicated good ball movement.

The scoring leaders for OKC were Darius Bazley with 23, Theo Maledon 15, and Ty Jerome, coming off the bench, 23. Jerome knocked down three threes in a losing effort.

Warriors’ next game Saturday night against the Thunder at the Chase Center in San Francisco for 7 pm tip.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings recovery has been nothing short of amazing

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The Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III takes the ball up court against the Indiana Pacers on Wed May 5, 2021 in Indianapolis. Bagley led the Kings in scoring with 31 points (@SacramentoKings photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony ever since the Sacramento Kings (29-37) ended their nine game losing streak back on April 15th they have turned it around winning seven of their last ten and have won four straight games.

#2 Last night in Indianapolis they won their fourth straight game defeating the Indiana Pacers (30-35) 104-93 what’s been remarkable is with De’Aaron Fox out of the line up the team just seemed to jell and have had some great offensive games.

#3 Kings forward Marvin Bagley III last night against the Pacers led the team with 31 points and 12 rebounds he’s been leading this team in offense.

#4 Despite the Kings not going to the playoffs they’ve been putting in the work every night like their playoff live depend on it and they’ve been grinding it out these last six games.

#5 The San Antonio Spurs (31-34) are coming to Sacramento on Friday night the Kings hoping to string their fifth straight win the Kings have six games left of the season and want to make the best of each one of them.

Join Tony for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings report: Royal Flush Kings win five out of last six; Sac beats Indiana 104-93 for four straight wins

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Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III led the Kings in scoring with 31 points on Wed May 5, 2021 against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis (AP News photo)

by Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings last played the day before on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. We will get to that game in a minute. However, on Wednesday night the Kings were able to beat the Indians Pacers on the road by the final of 104-93. Before we get into that game, let’s quickly discuss Tuesdays game in Oklahoma City.

Flashback Tuesday: The Kings went into Oklahoma City and played a solid game. They held the Thunder to 99 points and managed to eclipse the 100 point mark themselves. It was defense that won the Kings the game. He Kings beat the Thunder by the final of 103-99.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Kings were set to take on the Indiana Pacers at 5 PM PST on Wednesday night. It was the final game of the road trip for the Kings.

In the first half, the Kings handles the Pacers with ease. The first quarter saw the Kings outscore the Pacers 30-26 as Sacramento got out of the gate early. In the second quarter, it was good defense and more of the same on offense for the Kings. The Kings outscored the Pacers in the second quarter 26-21 to take a 56-47 lead into the intermission. The Kings would look to seal the deal in the second half of the game.

In the second half, the Kings remained solid! The third quarter saw the Kings outscore the Pacers again 29-21 as it appeared the Kings were on their way to victory. The Kings would finish the deal in the fourth quarter. Albeit, by being outscored 25-19 in the fourth quarter but the margin they had built held up in victory.

The Kings win was a great victory who were led by often injured center Marvin Bagley III. Marvin finished the game with 31 points and 12 rebounds. For the Pacers, they were led by Domantas Sabonis who scored 17 points in defeat.

Up Next: The Kings return home to take on the San Antonio Spurs at 7 PM PST in Sacramento

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors need win to maintain final playoff spot against Thunder on Thursday night

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The New Orleans Pelicans Lonzo Ball led the Pelicans in scoring with 33 points against the Golden State Warriors on Tue May 4, 2021 (@PelicansNBA photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Are the Golden State Warriors (33-33) going to be worthy of at least holding onto the last and final spot in the Western Conference as they struggled with the New Orleans Pelicans (30-36) on Tuesday night only to lose 108-103.

#2 Stephen Curry did all the heavy lifting once again. He did it on Monday night with 41 points in a game the Warriors won to defeat the Pelicans and on Tuesday night scoring 37 points in the loss of the second game.

#3 The Oklahoma City Thunder (21-45) who occupy 13th place in the Western Conference and lost on Tuesday night to the Sacramento Kings (28-37) 103-99 tip off at the Chase Center San Francisco on Thursday night another crucial game for the Warriors post season hopes.

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

Kings defeat OKC 103-99 third straight win; Five wins in seven games

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(@okcthunder photo)

Kings Win Third Straight Beating OKC

By Barbara Mason

With eight games left in the season the Sacramento Kings took on the OKC Thunder. Sacramento has had some nice wins in their last two games beating the Lakers and the Mavericks. The Thunder on the other hand were trying to stop a 3 game skid.

The Kings got a nice start and were leading after one quarter 25-20. The Thunder would continue to pressure the Kings in the second quarter remaining close until the final two minutes. The final minutes of the half were good ones for the Kings taking a significant lead 56-46 as time expired.

Buddy Hield had 12 points for the first half and Terence Davis was impressive with 13 points off the bench. Darius Bazley had 13 points for Oklahoma City.

Despite De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes out of the lineup, the Kings were holding their own. Barnes has missed the last three games with a groin injury and everything points to him missing a fourth game. Fox remains out on covid protocol. He is getting close to being able to return to the court.

After three quarters the Kings maintained their lead 81-69. Sacramento barely held on winning the game by the score of 103-99. The Thunder would outscore the kIngs in the fourth quarter 30-22 but came up just short. This was the King’s third win in a row. Buddy Hield finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds to squeak by the Thunder.

The Kings will be taking on the Pacers tomorrow night going for their fourth straight win. Tipoff is at 5:00 PM.