Tag: NBA

California Classic Day 3 Recap

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — Wednesday was the third and final day of the California Classic at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The four teams participating in the Classic would travel to Las Vegas after the festivities wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon to continue Summer League action.

Two games were on tap for Wednesday: The Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors at 12 PM PST as well as the LA Lakers and Sacramento Kings at 2 PM PST.

Game 1
Game one featured the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, who got off to a very slow offensive start. The Heat managed to put up a few baskets in the opening minutes, but the Warriors couldn’t muster anything. It wasn’t until 6:01 that the Warriors finally managed to score. Damian Jones was fouled and made both shots. The Warriors managed to regain control of the offense and score 38 in the first half. The Heat, on the other hand, stayed steadily mediocre. They scored 12 in the first quarter and 18 in the second to trail 30-38 at the half.

Damian Jones led the Warriors with 8 points into halftime. Davon Reed had 7 points. The Heat’s leading scorers in the first half were Yante Maten, who dropped 10 points, and Tyler Herro with 7 points.

In the second half, the third quarter looked much like the first. Both teams struggled on offense. Please give credit to good defense from both teams, but the real culprit was bad shooting. When the third was said and done, the Heat scored 15 and the Warriors had 12. The score was 50-45 in favor of the Lakers heading into the final quarter. In the final minutes of the game, the Warriors offense fell sharply and the Heat picked up the slack. The Heat scored 26 fourth quarter points compared to the Warriors’ 14. The Warriors fell to the Heat 73-65.

Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 21 points. Other notable Heat scorers were Tyler Herro with 20 points and Yante Maten with 16 points. Leading Warriors scorers were Damian Jones with 15 points and Davon Reed with 12 points.

Game 2
Unlike the first game of the day, the Kings offense got going early in this game. The Kings jumped to an early lead over the Lakers with quick points from Hollis Thompson. However, the Lakers began to roll offensively about halfway through the first and made it close at the end of the first quarter. The score was 23-22 in favor of Sacramento after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings and Lakers traded baskets without much separation coming between the two teams in the early minutes. Then, the Lakers offense slowed down as they were only able to put 17 points. Wenyen Gabriel led the Kings to a first half lead with 11 points. Hollis Thompson scored 10 points, and Kyle Guy had 10 points. The Kings took a 47-39 lead into the second half.

In the second half, the Kings kept the offensive pressure on the Lakers by scoring 28 in the third. That would be better than the Lakers’ 24 in the third. Sacramento was in the driver’s set 75-63 going into the fourth quarter.

However, in the fourth, the Lakers made it interesting. They outscored the Kings 36-22, and in miraculous fashion, won 99-97. The main reason the Lakers pulled this one out was because of Jordan Howard. Howard, who came into the fourth quarter with 8 points, dropped 17 points to lead the Lakers with 25 points. Other notable Lakers scorers were Nick Perkins with 20 points and Devontae Cacok with 13 points.

The Kings were also on the receiving end of many good performances from their young players, but were sadly downed by the Lakers. The most notable Kings performance came from first-year guard Kyle Guy, who scored 14 points on the night. Wenyen Gabriel added 16 points to his California Classic resume. Semaj Christon had 13 points.

All four teams now head to Vegas to continue their NBA Summer League Slate.

California Classic Day 2 Recap

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — Tuesday was day two of the California Classic at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. On tap for Tuesday was the first game of the evening between the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers at 6 PM PST. The second game was at 8 PM PST featured the hometown Sacramento Kings against the Miami Heat.

Game 1
The Warriors and Lakers were first up on the schedule Tuesday night.

The first half was pretty balanced with both teams putting together good offensive stretches. The first quarter quarter went back and forth with the Warriors edging the Lakers 25-24. In the second quarter, the Lakers took advantage of sloppy defense and outscored the Warriors 24-15. Leading the way in the first half was Lakers forward Zach Norvell Jr., who managed to put up 10 on 4-5 shooting. Leading the way for the Warriors was forward Malachi Richardson, who dropped 9 points for the Warriors in just over 7 minutes in the first half.

The second half featured the Lakers continuing to hold their lead and eventually win the game. The Golden State Warriors had moments where they pulled closer, but it was the Lakers’ scoring that ultimately propelled them to a victory. Halftime scoring leader Zach Norvell Jr. would put up another 10 points (20 points for the game) in the second to lead the Lakers to a 100-90 victory over the Warriors. Other Lakers who put up good numbers were Devontae Cacok (16 points), Joe Young (13 points), and Marcus Allen (10 points).

Leading the way for the losing Warriors was Eric Paschall (18 points), followed by Jacob Evans (13 points), and Damian Jones, Jordan Poole, Alen Smailagic–all with 10 points.

Game 2
The second game of the night was set with the Kings and Heat ready to take the floor.

In the first half, both teams got off to a slow start with the first points coming by the heat at the 8:10 mark of the first. The Kings immediately took a timeout to regroup before continuing the first half. The Heat played exceptional defense early on in this game keeping the Kings from open looks. The Kings’ first points of the night came at 7:41 with Kyle Guy hitting a three from the right start. From there, the Kings offense seemed to click. At the end of the second half, they scored 45 points and led the Heat 45-36.

Leading the way for the Kings in the first half was Kyle Guy (11 points), Semaj Christon (10 points), and Hollis Thompson (7 points).

Leading the way for the Heat was Yante Maten (8 points), and Kendrick Nunn (7 points).

In the second half, the Kings appeared to be on their way to another victory. They kept pace with the Heat in the third and carried a 71-63 lead into the final quarter, but things didn’t go the Kings way in the final 12 minutes. The Heat outscored the Kings 26-17 in the fourth to win the game at the buzzer 89-88. Leading the Heat to victory was Kendrick Nunn, who scored 27 points on 9-20 shooting. Also, another good Heat performance was by Yante Maten, who dropped 21 points.

Even in defeat, the Kings had some positive takeaways from day two of the California Classic. Hollis Thompson was the leading scorer for Sacramento with 18 points. Kyle Guy and Eric Mika both scored 13 points while Semaj Christon and Marcus Derrickson dropped 10 for Sac.

Up Next: Wednesday the California Classic wraps up with the Heat and Warriors playing at 12 PM PST and the Kings and Lakers squaring off at 2 PM PST.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Warriors Trying to Appease Their Fans

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The Golden State Warriors were ready to become the next Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls dynasty. But now, that is all, but a memory — a wish for their fans. Kevin Durant made a brief stop with the Warriors, and in a flash, it was all just a dream for their fans — one of those dreams you do not want to wake up from.

The truth remains that in this era of huge salaries and free agency, it is very difficult to keep a championship group together in the NBA. Mega stars like LeBron James play with a team, win a couple of titles and then just move on. With the departure of Durant to Brooklyn and Andre Iguodala to Memphis, the Warriors have a totally different look.

Now the Warriors organization is saying that no Warriors player will ever wear #35 again, that of Kevin Durant, who left for Brooklyn to join his 2016 Olympic buddies Kyrie Irvin and DeAndre Jordan and leaving millions on dollars on the table, which was offered by the Warriors.

“As long as I am co-chairman of this team, no player will ever wear #35 for the Warriors again,” Joe Lacob said in a statement.

OK, Warriors fans, calm down. The organization still wants to please you and continue to win. They are going to be moving this winter to Chase Arena in San Francisco. That will be the biggest attraction, a beautiful brand-new home. As far as winning, well nothing lasts forever. The LA Lakers will probably be the favorite to win in their division, but the Warriors should still be very competitive. Well, let’s hope so.

The Beatles also broke up in 1969 John Lennon informed the other Beatles he was leaving. Later in 1970, Paul McCartney also said goodbye to his fellow band members. The Beatles had a dynasty of music in the 60’s — like the Boston Celtics’ dynasty — they also became free agents who went their separate ways. John, George, and Ringo went solo, while Paul formed the famous band Wings.

California Classic Day 1 Recap

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Photo credit: @abscbnsports

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — Golden One Center was ready on Monday night to welcome in the California Classic for the second time. Kings, Warriors, Heat, and Lakers fans began to descend upon the arena when the gates opened at 5 PM local time in Sacramento. On the slate for Monday evenings action was the first game of the Miami Heat facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers at 6 PM PST. On tap for the 8 PM game was the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors.

Game 1: Miami Heat vs. LA Lakers at 6 PM
In the first game the Heat and Lakers showcased their young talent. Even though the score doesn’t particularly matter in summer league action, the Heat drubbed the Lakers. The Lakers appeared to get off to a fast start in the first quarter, but fell behind in the later minutes and the Heat took the lead.

The Heat then began to pour it on in the next two quarters as the Lakers couldn’t muster anything on defense. At the end of the third the Lakers trailed the Heat 86-54. You could guess what happened the rest of the way. The Heat continued to put up points and down the Lakers 106-79.

However, if you’re reading this, you probably care more about which players put up the best numbers than what the score was. The Heat’s leading scorers were Tyler Herro (18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists), Duncan Robinson (17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), and Charles Cooke (15 points, 2 rebounds).

The leading scorers for the Lakers were Rosco Allen (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assists), and Zack Norwell Jr. (11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists).

Game 2: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors at 8 PM
In the second game, it was time for the Kings and heat to see what their young talent and newly drafted players could do.

The first half would prove to be an up and down battle between both teams. The Warriors outscored the Kings in the first quarter 23-18, but then the Kings came back and outscored the Warriors 23-9 in the second quarter to take a lead into halftime. Leading scorers for the Kings in the first half were Wenyen Gabriel (11 points), and Hollis Thompson (8 points). Leading the way for the Warriors were Jimmer Fredette and Damian Jones, both with 7 points.

In the second half, it remained a close game with the Kings and Warriors trading baskets. The Kings were outscored by the Warriors 21-19 in the third. Going into the fourth, the Kings would still have the lead 60-53.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings faltered a bit to the Warriors. They allowed them to come back and take the lead midway through the quarter. However, Sacramento was able to battle back and secure the win 81 to 77 over the Warriors. The Kings’ notable scorers were Wenyen Gabriel (22 points), Hollis Thompson (11 points), and Semaj Christon (13 points). The Warriors’ notable scorers were Jacob Evans (18 Points), Damian Jones (14 Points), and Jimmer Fredette (14 points).

The Kings’ newly drafted prospects Kyle Guy and Justin James also logged good minutes. Guy scored 10 points and James scored 7 points in their Sacramento debuts.

Notes: Kings regulars De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Harry Giles and Bogdan Bogdanovic were all in attendance for the Kings game. Also in attendance was Kings legend Chris Webber.

Next Up: The California Classic continues on Tuesday with the Lakers facing the Warriors at 6 PM PST and the Heat facing the Kings at 8 PM PST.

Kevin Durant signs four-year $164 million deal to play with the Brooklyn Nets

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file photo from sfgate.com: Former Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant #35 gets help off the floor in his last hurrah for Golden State with the injured Achilles tendon in the first half of game 5 against the Toronto Raptors.

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Golden State Warriors lost a key player to free agency on Sunday. Superstar forward Kevin Durant decided to leave the Warriors, a team that he won two championships with, to play for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were active Sunday signing point guard Kyrie Irving and center DeAndre Jordan. They will have to wait a year for Durant to play for them as he will be recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that will sideline him for the entire 2019-2020 season.

The big question is, why did Durant decide to leave the Warriors. Golden State offered him a five-year deal worth $ 221 Million. The answer has to be that he was unhappy here with the Warriors. He had a massive dustup with Draymond Green early in the season. The two players didn’t speak for a while, and that may have been a factor even though Green apologized to Durant. Another factor may have been the injury that he sustained in Game Five of the NBA Finals with Toronto. Durant had suffered a calf injury in the series with the Houston Rockets. The team may have asked him to return to action before that injury was healed. No one knows what the Warriors’ doctors told him about the possibility that he might make it worse if he played.

The Warriors did agree to terms with a five -year $190 million contract with Klay Thompson. Klay will be out for at least nine months as he recovers from surgery to fix a torn ACL in his left knee. The Warriors want to re-sign Kevon Looney.  Looney is being courted by the Houston Rockets. Looney proved his worth as he played inspired basketball in the Finals after suffering an injury to his collarbone. The Warriors may try to get DeMarcus Cousins back. The most the can offer Cousins is about 6.3 million. Cousins could help fill the gap left by Durant’s departure. Cousins may stay to get a better deal a year from now. Shaun Livingston may retire, and that is another hole that the W’s will have to fill.

The Warriors should be competitive next year with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala still on the roster. Players such as Damian Jones, Jordan Bell, Alonzo McKinnie, and Quinn Cook will have to step up if the Warriors are to be successful next season. The fans are hoping the GM Bob Myers might have something rolled up in his sleeves to help make the team better. It will be a very different season for the Warriors as they start to play next year at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Will Kawhi say goodbye to Toronto?; Giants’ Pomeranz throws heat, strikes out 11 Rockies Monday night; plus more

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Photo credit: @ChrisBHaynes

On Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 Will Kawhi Leonard bolt from the Toronto Raptors? It looks like Leonard will decline the $21.3 million player option and will consider becoming a free agent. There is talk that Leonard is considering signing on with the Raptors and Leonard said he love playing in Toronto so much last season why ruin an opportunity and re-up with the Raptors again.

#2 San Francisco Giant starter Drew Pomeranz, who had some very rough outings this season, has also had some successful games. Monday night against the Colorado Rockies was one of them throwing for 11 strikeouts at Oracle Park after throwing 93 pitches was lifted in the bottom of the fifth inning.

#3 The New York Mets are going through some rough times. There is talk that the Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has been making in game moves and over ruling Mets manager Mickey Callaway. What’s so bizarre about it is Callaway has followed Van Wagenen’s decisions resulting in the Mets finding themselves nine games out of first fourth in the NL East.

#4 The biggest baseball name was Aaron like in Hank Aaron famous for the home run, then there is the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who had a lights out season last season, then there’s the Yankees’ Aaron Hicks, whose home run on Monday night help extend and tie the Major League mark for the most consecutive home runs by a team at 27.

#5 After a young girl Katlin Salazar was hit in the face by a Cody Bellinger bullet, the Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to extend the netting from the dugouts to the foul poles at Dodger Stadium. The bullet hit the girl who was seated four rows just up from the dugout. She had to leave some 15 minutes after being hit and was also paid a visit by Bellinger between innings.

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

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Could Pope and Bullock end up as Warriors?; How could 4 people get shot at Raptors parade?; plus more

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Photo credit: @WarriorNationCP

On the Headlines Podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Los Angeles Lakers, who signed Anthony Davis are looking for more, but so are the Golden State Warriors, who are looking at the Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock. Will these additions at Golden State fill that void that the Warriors lacked during the final game of the NBA Finals?

#2 Regarding the shooting of four people at the Toronto Raptors parade in Toronto, does this indicate no one is safe anywhere and this could go down again if Toronto was to win again?

#3 The NBA Draft is coming up and the Sacramento Kings are expected to get some of the top picks. Where do they need to start from first?

#4 The Los Angeles Dodgers came back after dropping the first game of this three-game series with convincing wins, thanks to some great offense, On Tuesday night, the Dodgers got a 9-0 shutout and the Dodgers dominated again with a 9-2 win over the Giants on Wednesday night.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raptors take down the Warriors 114-110 to win their first NBA Championship

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Photo credit: @Raptors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors lost a thriller to the Toronto Raptors 114-110 in Game 6 at Oracle Arena Thursday night.

The Warriors, trying to overcome adversity with the loss of Kevin Durant in Game 5, and Klay Thompson late in the third quarter of Game 6, gave it their all, but it was not quite enough.

The Warriors showed no quit. They played with the hearts of the champions that they are. They played with courage. They did not have a full roster throughout the Finals. They lost DeMarcus Cousins in the first round against the Clippers. Cousins found his way back and played in five of the six games in the Finals. They lost Kevin Durant in Game 5 of the second round series with the Houston Rockets. They shocked the NBA by beating the Rockets in Game 6. They lost Klay Thompson in Game 2 with a strained hamstring. He missed his first game ever in the playoff. Thompson was injured late in the third quarter after he was fouled. Thompson made the two free throws and then went to the locker room. He did not return to the game. Kevon Looney suffered a shoulder injury, and he, too, missed a game. Looney should everyone what he is made of. He came back to play and played well. He had to leave Game 5 as he experienced severe pain in the injured area. He was on the floor on Thursday night.

The Raptors won a very hard-fought series. They are the champions of the NBA for the first time in their history. The Raptors, coached by first-year head coach Nick Nurse, won the Larry O’Brien Trophy 4-2. The Raptors trade with the San Antonio Spurs brought them two key players, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, who arrived to Toronto in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. How good was Leonard? Leonard, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, showed that he was an excellent offensive player as well. Leonard was awarded the Bill Russell Trophy for being the Finals MVP.

The Warriors had to figure out a way to stop the Raptors’ big men. The Warriors had trouble all series with Pascal Siakam, Serge, Ibaka, and Marc Gasol. The Raptors’ Fred VanVleet, coming off the bench, showed that he was an excellent sixth man, and he was called upon to guard Steph Curry. The Raptors’ plan for Thursday night’s game was to double team Curry every time he handled the ball. Klay Thompson had the hot hand in the first half as he put 18 on the board.

The first 24 minutes of the game was extremely competitive. The Raptors’ Kyle Lowry was hot at the start of the game. Lowry knocked down 15 in the quarter. The Raptors led 19-12 about midway through the first quarter. The Warriors knew what was at stake and met the challenge. They trailed by one 33-32 at the end of the first period. The second period was nip and tuck all the way to the end of the half. There were 14 lead changes in the first half. Toronto led 60-57 at the intermission.

It was more of the same in the third quarter. The lead changed hands several times. The Warriors were leading 83-80 when Klay Thompson was fouled going in for a layup. Thompson hit the floor, grasping his left leg as he was in a lot of pain. He headed to the locker room. Someone reminded the Warriors that if he could not make the free throws, he could not return to the game. Thompson returned and sank the two free throw to give the Warriors the lead 85-80. After making the two free throw, Thompson went to the locker room. He did not return and was seen leaving the arena on crutches. The third quarter ended with the Warriors nursing a two-point lead 88-86.

In the fourth quarter, with Klay Thompson out of the game and Steph Curry on the bench, Toronto regained the lead 94-93. Curry came back in with about nine minutes left to play. Curry hit a three to put the Warriors ahead 99-96. The teams tied at 99 and at 101. Toronto went on a 7-1 run to lead 108-102. Draymond Green made a three and DeMarcus Cousins put in a layup to close to 109-108 Each team scored two to make it 110-108 with 18.5 seconds left to play. The Warriors trailed by just one 111-110 with 18.5 seconds left. The Warriors’ defense stiffened, and the Raptors turned the ball over with 9.5 seconds left. The Raptors’ defense smothered the Warriors, and Green called for a timeout. The problem was that the Warriors were out of timeouts and they were charged with a technical foul and loss of possession. The Raptors made the free throw. With 0.9 seconds on the clock, the Raptors inbounded the ball. Kawhi Leonard was fouled and made both free throws. The Raptors won 114-110 and dethroned the Warriors as NBA champions.

Game Notes: For those that care, here are the stats–Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30, Curry had 21, Andre Iguodala 22, Cousins, 12. Draymond Green had a triple-double with 11 points, 19 rebounds, and 13 assists.

The Raptors were led by Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, who both tallied 26. Kawhi Leonard and Fred VanVleet had 22. Van Vleet knocked down 12 points in the fourth quarter. Serge Ibaka had 15.

The Warriors played their final game at Oracle Arena. Oracle has been their home for 47 years. They will be playing at the Chase Center in San Francisco when the 2019-20 season starts in October.

The Warriors will have to make decisions regarding several players. Will they bring back DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney? Will they give Klay Thompson a max contract? Kevin Durant will not play next season due to his Achilles tendon injury. Durant can opt to stay a Warrior next year even if he doesn’t play. Other teams in the NBA might be willing to offer him a four-year max contract knowing that he won’t play next season. Will Shaun Livingston retire? How will they improve the bench? Who will they get in the draft? Lots of decisions and just about three months before the players come back to start practice in late September or early October.

I know the players feel they swallowed a bitter pill. They will need to take a couple days off to erase the bitterness. They know they have the best fans in the NBA that will support them as they resume their quest for another championship next year.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Blues-Bruins involved in hard-fought finals; Warriors cry for Durant; plus more

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Photo credit: @ChicagoSports

On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

#1 The St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins played a long hard fought NHL Finals that went seven games in a back-and-forth series.

#2 How much of the injuries to the Golden State Warriors Kevon Looney, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant played in their struggle to win games in the finals?

#3 Talk about Warriors team president Bob Meyers, who cried after game five when Durant went down with the Achilles injury. Meyers taking much of the responsibility for the decision on putting Durant back in now lost for at least a year.

#4 The New England Patriots are filing tampering charges against the Houston Texans for trying to talk to the Patriots Director of Player personnel Nick Caserio. The Texans general manager Brian Gaine attended a post Super Bowl ring celebration at Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s house as did Caserio. Some conversation or interest of Caserio took place and hence the tampering suit.

#5 When you have mob names like the Surgeon (Louis Alfredo Rivas Clase) and a woman named the Venezuelan or Red, these are just two of the names that help coordinate the shooting of former Red Sox star David Ortiz in the Dominican Republic. It was also reported that two other men were involved and a total of six people were involved in the planning of the shooting of Ortiz.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: World Cup–US Women no match for Thailand in 13-0 blowout; Kings to host Summer League at Golden 1; plus more

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Photo credit: @BostonGlobe

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 In the World Cup, US Women downed Thailand 13-0, Alex Morgan scored five goals and there was no mercy rule as the US Women kept pouring it on in Reims, France. The US took it to Thailand right from the kickoff.

#2 The win by the US topped the old record when Germany took it to Argentina in an 11-0 win in the 2007 World Cup.

#3 The Sacramento Kings will be hosting a California Classic Summer League at Golden 1 Center from July 1st through 3rd. Fans will get to take a look at the following teams: the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.

#4 With the Summer League coming up, where does Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton stand? He has been accused of sexual assault. His accuser is also holding the Warriors and Lakers legally responsible for the attacks. Is the Luke Walton case going to be a distraction or can Luke guide the Kings and get past it?

#5 The San Jose Earthquakes won a friendly 4-3 over Sacramento Republic FC on Tuesday night at Avaya Stadium. Earthquakes star Chris Wondolowski said that the team is in a zone a winning mental state right now, and even though it was like a preseason game, the Quakes are pushing to win and won’t take any prisoners right now.

#6 Former San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence hit another one off the fence for the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night against the Red Sox. Pence chalked up his 14th home run for an inside-the-park home run against the Boston Red Sox. Pence has been in the zone this season. He’s also got the Rangers clubhouse pretty loose right now.

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