Tag: NBA

Lakers have no trouble downing the Warriors 104-98

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in the preseason. The Lakers did not use any of their key players. Neither did the Warriors except for Steph Curry. Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell had the night off. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr started Marquese Chriss at center, Eric Pascall and Glenn Robinson at forward, and Jordan Poole and Steph Curry started at guard, The Lakers countered with Jared Dudley at strong forward, Dwight Howard at center, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the other forward position, and Alex Caruso and Zach Norvell at guard. The Warriors did not play well all evening long. The Lakers won easily 104-98.

It must be noted that this was a game that both coaches, the Warriors’ Steve Kerr and the Lakers’ Frank Vogel gave playing time to guys that are fighting for spots on the 15-man roster. Some players are hoping for a two-way contract. The Warriors have to make decisions on Chriss and McKinnie. The Warriors have salary cap limitations, and one or both may be either cut or traded. The Warriors are hoping that Pascall and Poole make the team and will be playing on the second unit. The Warriors are hoping that Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney get a chance to work with Curry, Russell, and Green before the season starts. That may be problematical as Cauley-Stein may not be healed by the time the season begins.

The Lakers led from start to finish. Both teams shot poorly for the first six minutes of the game. The Lakers played better and finished the first quarter with a 28-17 lead. The Warriors shot a miserable 18% from the floor. No one could hit a bucket. In contrast, the Lakers shot 42%. Were the Lakers playing great defense? Maybe. Were the Warriors out of sync? Definitely.

The Warriors improved in the second quarter. It was not enough to catch the Lakers, but they kept on shooting. The Warriors outscored LA by four to finish the first half trailing by seven 55-48. Steph Curry led the team with 14. Damian Lee and Alfonzo McKinnie each had 7. Marquese Chriss was a bright spot with six points and six boards. Zach Norvell led the Lakers with 12. Former Warrior JaVale McGee tormented his old mates with 9 points, and he had a couple of blocked shots as well.

The Lakers increased the lead to 17 in the third period 79-62. The Warriors Jacob Evans and Damian led the Warriors in scoring. Things changed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by Chriss and Poole cut the lead to three 97-94 after Poole hit a three. The Lakers regrouped and went on a 7-4 run to finish the game with a final score of 104-98.

Game Notes: The Lakers rested LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. Anthony Davis was out with a sprained right thumb. Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, and Talen Horton-Tucker. The Warriors rested Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell. Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Kevon Looney, and Alen Smailagic were not available due to injury.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Lakers again Wednesday night in Los Angeles. They return home to face the Lakers at the Chase Center Friday night for the final preseason game.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Excellent defense and Fox’s offense help in Kings’ 105-88 win

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photo from sacbee.com: Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (35) blocks a shot against the Dallas Mavericks forward Maximilian Kleber (42) on March 21, 2019 in this Sac Bee file photo.

By London Marq

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings exist in an awkward space within the NBA right now. After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, their young core is hoping to make stride forward and become a better team.

The only problem — the Western Conference is vastly improved — meaning that if the Kings hope to be playoff relevant, they will have to prove they are much better than they were six months ago. Through the first two games of the preseason, the Kings are 0-2.

On the surface, it may seem like a bad omen but there are factors to consider. Those first two games were played a world away in India so it’s hard to judge the effectiveness of the team playing with so many travel miles behind them. They are also under direction from new head coach Luke Walton, so the team may be finding ways to acclimate themselves to the new strategies being implemented. All in all, the two losses are no reason to panic.

On Thursday night, the Kings welcomed the Phoenix Suns into the Golden 1 Center for their first home preseason game. Behind some excellent defense and 18 points from De’Aaron Fox the Kings would walk away with the win, 105-88.

Defense has to be a point of emphasis for Sacramento if they hope to compete for a playoff spot in the west. If tonight was any indication of the Kings’ focus on defense, then it bodes well.

Sacramento held the Suns to just 16 points in the first quarter and 18 in the fourth while outscoring their opponents in threw of the four frames. Last year, the offense was one of the most potent in the league and the Kings were one of the most exciting teams to watch.

If they can match that with consistent effort on defense, they will compete. While one preseason win is nothing to write home about, the Kings should be using this time to gel as a unit and acclimate themselves to their new coach while playing at full speed. The Kings will face a challenge in their final preseason match versus the Utah Jazz. The regular season is just around the bend, and the Kings will have a lot to prove if they want to be considered as a contender.

London Marq is a Sacramento Kings beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors race past the Timberwolves 143-123

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the preseason as they defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 143-123 at Chase Center on Thursday night.

The Warriors inserted Marquese Chriss at the center position and Glenn Robinson III at forward to work with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell. W’s head coach Steve Kerr wanted to see how Chriss would do in his first action with Golden State. Kerr increased the number of minutes played by his starters and then inserted players that will be looking to make the team. The Warriors have a lot of new players this season, and Kerr wanted to see who would step up and show that they can play in the NBA.

Both teams played a fast-paced game. The Warriors love to run as that opens up the court, and players have to take advantage of the open looks. The Warriors fell behind early in the first period. They trailed by seven, 19-12. It was at this point that their perennial All-Star Steph Curry got hot. Curry finished the first quarter with 17 points, and the Warriors led 35-31 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Warriors scored 35 points in the second quarter to lead 70-64 at the end of the first half. Curry had 24. D’Angelo Russell knocked down 11. Draymond Green had 5, Marquese Chriss 6, and Glenn Robinson 4. Omari Spellman had 6, Jordan Poole 5, Eric Paschall 4, and Damian Lee 3. The Warriors shot 51% from the floor, and they made 8 threes in 17 attempts. They were a little sloppy with the ball as they committed 12 turnovers in the first half. They moved the ball well as they recorded 16 assists in the first 24 minutes of play.

The Warriors tallied 41 points in the third period. Steph and D’Angelo Russell were removed from the game with about four minutes left in the third quarter. Curry finished with 40 points in 25 minutes of action. Russell finished with 16. The Warrior reserves increased the lead to ten 111-101, heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Jordan Poole, Glenn Robinson, Eric Paschall, and Omari Spellman continued to play well, and the Warriors won by 20 points, 143-123.

Notes: Steve Kerr had to be impressed with the play of Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, and Glenn Robinson. The rookies Poole, from Michigan, and Paschall, from Villanova, played well. Poole knocked down 19 points in 21 minutes of action. Paschall kicked in with 11 in his 20 minutes of playing time. Robinson had 13 points and 5 boards. Omari Spellman also showed that he wanted a spot on the roster. He had 7 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists.

The Warriors shot 52.6% from the floor and were 19 for 37 from 3-point range. They had 34 assists on offense. On defense, they had 50 boards, 9 steals, and 11 blocked shots. They moved the ball well. They found the open man and worked the pick and roll well.

Minnesota’s starters Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jeff Teague scored 13, 9, and 13, respectively. Their bench players did well. Big Jake Layman had 17. Naz Reid had 14, Shabazz Napier 11, and the rookie from Texas Tech Jarrett Culver had 17.

Each team committed too many turnovers. The T-Wolves had 19, and the Warriors finished with 21.

Warriors’ centers Kevon Looney was out with a hamstring injury, and Willie Cauley-Stein will probably miss the preseason with an ankle injury. The Serbian rookie, Alen Smailagic, did not play. He was using a walking boot and on crutches. There is no date when he will be ready to play. Alec Burks is also out with an ankle problem.

Up Next: The Warriors’ next game will be Monday night against the LA Lakers in Los Angeles. They play again in LA on the 16th and finish the preseason against the Lakers at the Chase Center on October 18th.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Will Rockets’ Morey get fired over tweet about Hong Kong?; Quakes only needed one game and couldn’t do it; plus more

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Photo credit: businessinsider.com

On the Headline Sports podcast with London Marq:

#1 Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey apologized for tweeting that “We should stand with Hong Kong.” A statement that had China suspend all NBA games on state-ran TV, all NBA brands and any activities associated with the NBA because of Morey’s tweet. A source said that Morey’s job is on the line, but the Rockets’ front office has denied that Morey’s job is in flux, but stated that they don’t deny it’s a messy situation.

#2 The San Jose Earthquakes finished up the 2019 season on the outside looking in when they had the postseason by the tail and then went on to lose six straight games, including being eliminated last Sunday in Portland with a 3-1 loss. A disappointing end to say the least for Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda.

#3 The Sacramento Kings lost their first two preseason games in India to the Indiana Pacers. The Kings used most of their rookies, draft picks, and C-League prospects. The Kings return back to Sacramento on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center to host the Phoenix Suns. What will head coach Luke Walton be looking for in that one?

#4 Try hard as they may, the San Jose Sharks — who were down just by one goal 2-1 — had a shot at tying the game in the third period with the Nashville Predators, but the Preds scored three times to take a three-goal win 5-2 to beat the Sharks. Is it goaltending or is it the defense up in front giving little or no protection for goalie Martin Jones?

#5 Finally, everyone is talking about the San Francisco 49ers, a team that saw their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo throw for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-3 laugher at Levi’s Stadium on Monday Night Football.

London does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Chinese state media cancels all NBA preseason telecasts

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photo from sfgate.com: Fans wait outside a hotel to catch a glimpse of players from the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers in Shanghai on Wednesday.

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

CCTV (China Central Television) is China’s state television. They announced they are suspending all preseason games of the NBA in China. At the same time, they said they will immediately investigate all exchanges and co-operation involving the NBA. I’m not certain if the regular season games will also be suspended at this time.

This happened just days after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came to the defense of Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who tweeted in support of the Hong Kong anti-government protests.

DEMONSTRATIONS: Why are people in Hong Kong protesting? They are also called the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill, and residents in Hong Kong were concerned that bill could subject them to extradition to the mainland by the Chinese communist central government. The Chinese government has described the protest as the “‘worst’ crisis in Hong Kong” since the handover in 1999 when the United Kingdom handed the colony of Hong Kong and returned control of that territory to China.

CHINA’S GOVERNMENT: China is ruled by a communist central government, they are among the biggest human rights violators in the world. Amnesty International has documented widespread human rights violations in China. Demonstrations and free speech is not allowed in China. Obviously, the Chinese government is very concerned with the demonstrations in Hong Kong as demonstrators have been killed, injured and arrested.

HUGE MARKET: As of 2018 the total population of the United States was 327 million people

According to official statistics, about 800 million Chinese watch NBA programming on TV and digital media in China.

Over 300 million people in China play basketball. Online engagement with the NBA is six times more popular in China than the three largest European soccer leagues

BIG BUSINESS: This is big business for the NBA, as no other country is more obsessed with the NBA and basketball than China, the most populous country in the world with 1.4 billion people.

DIFFERENCES: While here in the US, we have the rights to free speech, demonstrations against our government and many other freedoms that we have enjoyed for over two centuries — freedom that sometimes we take for granted — that is not allowed communist China.

One example: The environment is very much an issue worldwide. While China is the world’s biggest polluter, you will never see a pro-environment demonstration in that country. They are not allowed.

I do agree with what Mr. Daryl Morey said on his original tweet when he supported the demonstrations by the people in Hong Kong against the Chinese government as well as the recent statement by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Anybody who likes and enjoys freedom definitely agrees with both gentlemen.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and was a Spanish play by play announcer for the Golden State Warriors, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Raiders gain ground with win against Chicago on road trip; 49ers leave no doubt in win over Browns; plus more

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Photo credit: nbcsports.com

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 Which Oakland Raider (3-2) team is this? The Raider team who lost to Kansas City and Minnesota or the Raider team who beat Indianapolis and Chicago?

#2 The San Francisco 49ers (4-0)  left little doubt about their game on Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns (2-3) in a lopsided win at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

#3 The Golden State Warriors struggled in their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Are they showing signs or cracks of a different older team — not as fast, not as accurate — or is this a real study of them finding who they are without Kevin Durant?

#4 The Stanford Cardinal (3-3) got an important 23-13 win against Washington (4-2) on Saturday, thanks to the help of Cameron Scarlett, who carried 33 times for 151 yards and one touchdown.

#5 A tough loss last Saturday in Oregon (4-1) for the Cal Bears (4-2) and quarterback David Modster. The Bears only got one touchdown against the Oregon Ducks.

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Lots of opportunities for prospects and young players in exhibition play

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, just two games in India for the Sacramento Kings. They played the Indiana Pacers and lost to them twice.

#2 Lots of minutes for a lot of the players on hand for game two last Saturday. Was this designed so that those players get to experience what it’s like to play a game like this in India or were these situations where the second game called for more players to come in?

#3 For Kings head coach Luke Walton, what were some of the things he was looking for in these two games that he would apply for the regular season?

#4 Talk about some of the new Kings: Kyle Guy, Caleb Swanigan, and Wayne Gabriel.

#5 The Kings host the Phoenix Suns for their next preseason game at Golden One Center in Sacramento. It’s the Kings’ first game back in Sacramento.

Charlie O does the Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: China pulled out of NBA over Rockets GM tweet; A’s consider getting rooted in Vegas

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file photo from Washingtonpost.com: In this April 19, 2011, file photo, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey discusses the direction of the team with the media during a basketball news conference, in Houston, after the decision to part ways with NBA basketball head coach Rick Adelman. Morey tried Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 to defuse the rapidly growing fallout over his deleted tweet that showed support for Hong Kong anti-government protesters, saying he did not intend to offend any of the team’s Chinese fans or sponsors.

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

China’s mad over tweet by Rockets GM: A political triangle has the NBA’s Houston Rockets apologizing over a tweet by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” as soon as that tweet was known China ended its relationship with the Houston Rockets and sponsors pulled out of all radio advertising in China.

The Rockets are the most popular team in China because of its relationship with former NBA player Yao Ming. The Rockets’ James Harden and Russell Westbrook quickly tried to go into damage control.

“We apologize, we love China. We love playing there. Both of us, we go there once or twice a year. They show us most support so we appreciate them,” said Harden.

The Chinese response was too late for the Rockets as a Chinese statement read, “Deeply disappointed by the inappropriate remarks.” Hong Kong has been protesting for the last four months about China having the ability to use extradition any Hong Kong citizen if they are wanted for any crime, espionage, or whenever deemed necessary to extradite a Hong Kong citizen when necessary.

Texas representative and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has said that the apology from the Rockets and the NBA is an embarrassment. That the NBA and the Rockets should stand pat on Hong Kong standing up to China and protesting extradition of any Hong Kong citizen and not to cave to China.

The Rockets and the NBA are in panic mode now as the league could face losing millions of dollars in revenue in NBA properties, NBA paraphernalia, and NBA branding not to mention their broadcast rights in China. The NBA and the Rockets have apologized but it may be a little too late as the Hong Kong issue is an extremely sensitive issue to China.

Oakland A’s consider getting rooted in Las Vegas: Sources say that baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is getting tired of the situation that’s gone back and forth between the city of Oakland and the A’s  There has been a lot of posturing between the A’s and the city regarding how to get started on working the land at Jack London Square the A’s were in discussion with the City Manager on Tuesday the day before the A’s wild card game with Tampa Bay. 90 minutes after the meeting with the city manager, Kaval found out the city was suing the A’s to stop them from developing at the Coliseum.

When the city handed the A’s a lawsuit on Tuesday to stop the team from developing on the Oakland Coliseum site, it baffled A’s team president David Kaval, who has been very guarded with his statements about the lawsuit. Kaval has been the spearhead of the new stadium for the A’s and for a brief moment it looked like the A’s were going to work something out with the city, but the city council are split on the A’s getting a downtown stadium. To clarify, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff and City Council president Rebecca Kaplan are both not on board with suing the A’s.

Because of the lawsuit, Kaval and the A’s are regrouping and considering something they never thought they would and that’s moving the A’s out of town to Las Vegas. Fighting the city of Oakland is not on the A’s radar and it will be a sad day when the A’s make the official announcement that it’s over in Oakland. The A’s triple-A team, Las Vegas Aviators, are playing near the Vegas strip.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio talent for the Oakland A’s on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and on http://www.sportsradioservice.com for News and Commentary.

Warriors drop opening pre-season game to Los Angeles Lakers 123-101

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sfgate.com photo

by Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO- The new-look Golden State Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 123-101 Saturday night at the Chase Center. It was the first pro basketball game in the new arena, and since it was a pre-season game, the results do not count. The Warriors are missing several players from their championship run.

Kevin Durant has gone to Brooklyn even though he will not play this season due to injury. Klay Thompson will not be available until after the All-Star game in February. His scoring and defensive play will be missed. The Warriors traded Andre Iguodala to Memphis, and Shaun Livingston retired. Backup guard Quinn Cook, who was a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers are also a new-look team. They traded for Anthony Davis. They signed Dwight Howard. They re-signed former Warrior JaVale McGee. They also have Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo returning.

The Lakers won the first quarter 33-20. The Warriors outscored them in the second quarter 31-26. The Lakers won the third and fourth quarters to win easily 123-101.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ starters, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell, each played about 17 minutes in the game. Draymond did not score, but he had 7 boards and 5 assists. Russell scored four points in his time on the court. Curry had 18 points and made one three in five attempts.

The Warriors bench players had the following results. Rookie Eric Paschall played 24 minutes and had 11 points, 3 boards, and an assist.  Rookie Jordan Poole helped out with 17. Glen Robinson had four points. Jacob Evans III played 18 minutes and had 9 points. Damian Lee knocked down 9 in 15 minutes of action. Third-year veteran Marquese Chiss had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 13 minutes of play.

The W’s were missing Willie Cauley-Stein due to an ankle injury. Kevon Looney did not play either.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis. Davis scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds in 18 minutes of work. LeBron James had 15. Former Warrior JaVale McGee had 10 points and 16 boards in his 16 minutes on the floor. Dwight Howard added nine, and guard Alex Caruso had 10.

The Warriors have their work cut out for them as they are trying to rebuild. It will take time for the new players to mesh with the veterans. Many questions are surrounding the Warriors. Will the new players fit in? Will the Warriors be good on defense? Can coach Kerr and the coaching staff get them ready for the regular season? Will they make the playoffs?

The Western Division has improved. The Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets as well as the Lakers have all made significant improvements. Will the Warriors be competitive? These questions will be answered throughout the 82-game season. One pre-season loss does not make a season. Those questions will be answered when the bell ring to start the 2019-2020 season.

 

Headline Sports podcast Barbara Mason: Raiders simply got ran over by Vikes’ Cook; Jimmy G puts it together even in close games; plus more

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Photo credit: theathletic.com

On Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Minnesota Vikings’ Dalvin Cook, who missed the last two seasons with ACL and hamstring issues, was running for the goal posts against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday when he rushed for 110 yards.

#2 Looking at Cook, you would have never guessed he missed any action after missing two seasons, missing 19 of 34 games. Cook said he never lost any confidence and worked his way back to getting into the Vikings lineups.

#3 The San Francisco 49ers just got by the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 24-20 victory on Sunday. With the win, the 49ers are now 3-0 and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is gaining some of that old swagger back when he first broke in with the 49ers in his first year.

#4 Garoppolo threw for 277 yards and completed 72 percent of his passes. He did suffer two interceptions. Are the interceptions something he should be concerned with since it was a close game and turnovers could hurt a team?

#5 Hard to believe the NBA preseason is starting next week with the new opening of the Chase Center in San Francisco. Will the Golden State Warriors have no trouble adapting to the new building’s characteristics?

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com