Tag: NBA

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Can Bogut make a difference for Golden State?

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Photo credit: @NBCSWarriors

On the Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 The Warriors brought back Andrew Bogut and he’s in the lineup. How crucial is Bogut for Golden State in the home stretch?

#2 Bogut came back to Golden State after having lunch with the Warriors assistant general manager Larry Harris. Harris was so impressed by Bogut’s analysis on the Warriors’ last four games and how detailed he was about how he could help the team if he was to return.

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

Splash Brothers lead the way to a Warriors win over the Timberwolves 117-106

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors finished the four-game road trip with a 3-1 record. They lost to the Spurs Monday night when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson could not buy a bucket. It was a different story at the Target Center Tuesday night as Curry and Thompson combined for 64 points and led the Warriors to their 48th win of the year. DeMarcus Cousins was out again with a sore ankle and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gave Shaun Livingston the night off. Andre Iguodala, who did not play Monday, returned to action against the Timberwolves.

The Warriors wanted to get off to a good start. They did not want to be trailing at halftime by more than 10 points as they have done several times lately. They took an early 7-2 lead. The young Timberwolves, led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, went on a 20-2 run to put the Warriors in a 22-9 hole. The Warriors did not lose their composure as they regrouped and finished the first quarter on a 21-5 run to take a 30-27 lead after the first 12 minutes of play. Thompson, who did not score a point in the first half against the Spurs, tallied 15 in the first quarter.

The Warriors won the second quarter 29-20 to end the first half leading 59-47. The Warriors finally had someone come off the bench and put some points on the board. Jonas Jerebko was that player as he sparked the team with 14 points in eight minutes of playing time. Thompson led the team with 17, Curry 11, Jerebko 14, and Kevin Durant 5. For the Timberwolves, Towns put 16, Dario Saric and Wiggins had 7 each. The Warriors shot 45.7% from the floor, and the defense held the Timberwolves to just 37.8%. The Warriors were prolific from 3-point range as they connected 11 times. The Timberwolves mad four threes in 16 attempts.

The Timberwolves started the third quarter on a tear as they went on a 14-2 run to tie the game at 61. Curry and Thompson led the team on a 10-1 run, and the Timberwolves never came close. Curry was on fire as he scored the last 14 points of the third quarter and his total for the entire quarter was 22. The Warriors outscored Minnesota 32-28 and led 91-75.

With Curry on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter, the unit led by Thompson, Durant, Jerebko, Cook, and Draymond Green increased the lead to 20, 101-81. The Timberwolves went on a 19-9 run to cut the lead to nine 112-103. Curry came back into the game and knocked down a three. Each time he made a bucket before the final buzzer and the Warriors won 117-106

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 47-22 for the year. They will be making their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, which is a franchise record.

The Timberwolves dropped to 32-39 and will not make the playoffs this season.

Curry led the Warriors with 36. He made eight three-pointers. Klay had 28, and he knocked down 4 threes. Jerebko had 18 and Durant finished with 17. Draymond Green recorded 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. He also blocked 4 shots. Alfonzo McKinnie did not score, but he recorded 9 rebounds. The Warriors had 39 assists on 44 baskets. They were moving the ball well. They shot 48.8% from the floor and held Minnesota to 40.4%. The only reason the game wasn’t a blowout was the fact that the Timberwolves had 18 more free throws and made 16 more than the Warriors.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Indiana Pacers Thursday night at Oracle Arena. The Pacers have the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference, and the W’s will have to be at their best if they hope to send them down to defeat. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Spurs stay hot as they defeat the Warriors 111-105

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Photo credit: @warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, without DeMarcus Cousins, fell to the red-hot Spurs at the AT&T Center Monday night. The Warriors started Andrew Bogut in place of Cousins, who sat out with a sore ankle. Bogut, who flew in from Australia (and was probably suffering from jet lag), played well in the first half. He scored 7 points and had 7 rebounds in his first NBA game since January 2018 when he was a member of the Lakers. Andre Iguodala was not available either.

The Warriors’ backcourt duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were ice cold in the first half. Curry and Thompson were 0-for-13 from the floor until Curry made a bucket with 1:07 left in the period. Despite the lack of production from the two, the Warriors stayed close, and Curry hit a 75-footer as the buzzer sounded to end the first period tied at 25.

The Warriors held the lead 36-33 with 7:38 left in the half From this point on, they scored just 11 points. The Spurs knocked down 33, and they led 58-47 at the halfway point. Curry and Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 11 each. Bogut had 7. The most shocking stat of the first half was the fact that Thompson had not scored a single point.

The Warriors played better ball in the third quarter. They went on a 16-5 run to tie the game at 75. The Spurs battled back and regained the lead 82-78 to end the third period. The Warriors just couldn’t get over the hump in the fourth quarter. The Spurs outscored them 29-27 to win 111-105.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors are now 47-22 and are tied with Denver for the best record in the Western Conference. Denver beat Boston 114-105 to move into the first place tie with Golden State. These teams meet for the final time April 2nd at Oracle Arena. The Warriors are 2-1 against Denver this year.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 25 points, He was 9-for-25 from the floor and made 6 threes in 18 tries. Durant had 24. Klay Thompson finished the night with 14. He was 5-for-18 from the field and made 4 threes. Alfonzo McKinnie led the bench with 8, and Kevon Looney with 6.

The Spurs had five players in double figures. DeMar DeRozan’s line was 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. LaMarcus Aldredge had a double-double with 23 points and 13 boards. Derrick White had 12. The Spurs had three players that came off the bench and made significant contributions: Rudy Gay 17, Paddy Mills 10, and Marco Belinelli 9.

The team stats show how close the game was. Each team was 41-for-88 from the floor. The Warriors made 13 threes. The Spurs made 10. The Spurs went to the line 10 more times than the Warriors and outscored them 19-10. The points from the free throw line won the game for San Antonio.

It was the ninth straight win and 11th straight home win for the Spurs.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday in Minneapolis. Game time is at 5:00 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings pull away with 27-point win after four ties with Bulls Sunday

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 It was a game that saw seven lead changes and four ties, but the Sacramento Kings in the end mustered up a 27-point win over the Chicago Bulls Sunday.

#2 After Bogdan Bogdanovic got a three-point shot to put the Kings ahead after the first period 24-23, the Kings never looked back.

#3 In the paint, Kings head coach Dave Joerger said the team worked the paint inside for five six seconds and if not worked the ball outside and took open shots, including threes and layups. It paid off the Kings went 80-56 against the Bulls for the inside game.

#4 After having a rough time on free throws on the road, the Kings went 81.2% on the free line on Sunday at Golden One.

#5 Tuesday night the Kings host the Brooklyn Nets (36-36), who are a very improved club.

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

Warriors, without Kevin Durant, roll over OKC Thunder 110-88

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their second game in a row on the road by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-88. They did it without the services of Kevin Durant, who is recovering from a right ankle contusion, which happened last Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors are answering questions about their ability to repeat as champions. DeMarcus Cousins had two good games back-to-back for the first time this year. He had handled Houston’s Clint Capela and the Thunder’s Steven Adams. He will be tested Monday night as he will be playing against the Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge.

The Warriors–behind the exceptional play of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins, along with a very dominating defense–held the high-scoring OKC offense to just 88 points, their lowest scoring game of the year. Also, Thompson and Andre Iguodala put the clamps on Russell Westbrook. Westbrook, averaging a triple-double for the season, tallied just 7 points. He was 2-for 16 from the floor and did not make a 3-pointer in 7 attempts. DeMarcus Cousins blanketed Adams. Adams, who has tormented the Warriors in the past, was held to just 9 points and 9 rebounds. The Warriors won easily 110-88.

The Warriors had a great first period. Behind Thompson and Cousins, the team had an early 20-8 advantage. Curry started to put points on the board in the second half of the first period, and the Warriors finished with a 40-27 lead after the first 12 minutes of play. Steph recorded 14 points, and Klay had 10. Draymond Green knocked down two 3s in the first period to help the Warrior offense.

The Warriors outscored the Thunder 24-19 to finish the first half leading 64-46. Curry led the attack with 19 and Klay had 14. Cousins had 9 and held Adams to 7. Paul George was the man for OKC with 12. Dennis Schroder, coming off the bench, tallied 10. Russell Westbrook did not make a field goal in the first half, and the points he put on the board came from the free throw line. Westbrook’s total for the half was three.

The Thunder was not able to get back into the game in the third quarter. They did outscore the Warriors by 2 points 25-23, but the Warriors were in control. The Warrior defense refused to wilt as the Warriors entered the final period of play leading 87-71.

The Warriors started the fourth quarter with Shaun Livingston, Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Shaun made two key buckets, and Cook nailed a 3. Draymond connected on his third three of the night to increase the Warrior lead to 20, 98-78. OKC cut the lead to 15, 101-86, but the Warrior defense held the Thunder to just two points the last three minutes and 54 seconds of the game. The W’s outscored OKC 23-17 to win 110-88.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 47-21 for the season and lead the Denver Nuggets by one game for the best record in the NBA. The Warriors own a 2-1 advantage over Denver, and they play again in Oakland on April 2nd. The Thunder, currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings are now 42-28.

The Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, averaging 23.5 points per game, made two buckets in the second half to finish the night with 7 points. Westbrook was charged with his 16th technical foul of the year. The call came after he intentionally ran into Klay Thompson. Thompson had blocked Westbrook’s shot. Westbrook complained to the refs that Klay fouled him, but the refs didn’t change their minds. Westbrook will have to sit out a one-game suspension unless one of the technical is rescinded.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points and made 5 3s. Klay Thompson had 23 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists. He was 3-for-8 from the 3-point range. DeMarcus Cousins had 12, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Cousins left the game in the fourth quarter with a sore ankle. Draymond Green had 9 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and all his points came on the 3 threes he made. Quinn Cook led the bench with 8, Alfonso McKinnie 7 and Shaun Livingston 6. The rest of the reserves added 10.

The Thunder’s Paul George led his team with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Jerami Grant had 11 and Dennis Schroder 15.

The Warriors’ Quinn Cook was charged with his first career technical foul in the four quarter. The Warriors have the best road record in the NBA 23-11.

Up Next: Game three of the four-game road trip will be played Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Game time will be at 5 pm.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Raiders getting Brown for draft picks–a steal; Despite dysfunction, Warriors still a winner; plus more

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photo from nbcsports.com:  Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown (center) receives his new jersey standing at podium during Wednesday’s presser with head coach Jon Gruden (left) and general manager Mike Mayock (right)

On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

#1 Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown said he can lift the rest of the team offense for the rest of the season

#2 Brown is a seven time Pro Bowler as the Raiders sent a third and fifth draft pick to Pittsburgh for Brown.

#3 Brown will get $54.125 million for the next three seasons with Oakland

#4 On the Warriors their well published dysfunction didn’t stop them from picking up a win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night 106-104

#5 San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey trying to come off his off season surgery caught in Monday’s game but manager Bruce Bochy decided to rest Posey on Tuesday. Bochy expects Posey to go full strength once the regular season begins

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

Warriors, without Kevin Durant, win a thriller over the Rockets 106-104

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors broke two streaks Wednesday night as they beat the red-hot Houston Rockets 106-104 in the Toyota Center. The first streak they snapped was the three-game winning streak Houston had over Golden State, and they snapped Houston’s nine-game winning streak. The Warriors had to figure out a way to do it without the services of Kevin Durant, who suffered a bone contusion on his ankle Sunday night in the loss to the Phoenix Suns. Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup to replace Durant. The Warriors needed the Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, to be at their best to win. Thompson and Curry did well, and DeMarcus Cousins came through with a season-high 27 points and was able to contain the Rockets’ big man, Clint Capela.

The Warriors needed to get off to a good start in the first quarter. They outscored the Rockets 33-23 as Curry knocked down 13 points in the first 12 minutes. The Warriors had an early 15-7 lead, but the Rockets went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 15. The Warriors responded with a 14-2 run to lead 29-17. Curry and Kevon Looney each made a two-point bucket to increase the lead to 33-23.

The Warriors’ second unit played well early in the second quarter. Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, and Klay Thompson upped the lead to 46-34. The Rockets, at this point in the game, came to life and charged back. They tied the game at 52 before Steph made a basket and the first half ended with Golden State leading 54-52. Thompson led the Warriors with 16. Curry had 15 and Cousins had 7. Boogie also had five boards and six assists. James Harden and Chris Paul led the Houston attack with 16 each. Capela had 8. The W’s bench outscored the Rockets’ bench 11-5.

In the third quarter, DeMarcus Cousins was a force. He, as mentioned earlier, put a lid on Clint Capela’s game. He scored ten points in the period to keep the Warriors ahead. Klay and Steph were on target, too. Kevon Looney was magnificent on defense in the quarter, and he made a key bucket late in the period. The Warriors outscored Houston 31-16 and finished with a seven-point advantage 85-78 after three-quarters of action.

The Warriors used the second unit with Cousins and Thompson to start the fourth quarter. Rockets’ coach, Mike D’Antoni also had his starter, James Harden, resting on the bench. Cousins knocked down another 10 points to give the Warriors the lead 102-89. Harden re-entered the game at this point. Houston refused to cave, and their defense stifled the Warriors as they climbed back into the game. They kept chipping away at the Warrior lead and outscored the Warriors 11-2 to make it 104-100 with 47 seconds left to play.  Houston connected on a three, and now it was a one-point game 104-103. Steph made a bucket to increase the lead to 106-103 with 8 seconds remaining to play. After a timeout, Kerr told his players to make to foul either Harden or Chris Paul and not let them attempt a three-point shot. The Warriors fouled Harden. He made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second in an attempt to get the rebound and make a basket to tie the game. The strategy failed, and the Warriors won 106-104.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant rested his ankle on Wednesday and the Warriors hope that he will return to action Saturday night when they play the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

With the win, the Warriors improve to 46-21. Houston falls to 42-26. If the teams were to meet in the playoffs, the Warriors would have the home-court advantage unless the teams end the season with the same record. In that case, the Rockets would have home court as they beat the Warriors 3-1 for the season.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30 points. He made 5 three-point shots in 10 attempts. DeMarcus Cousins excelled on offense with a season-high 27 points. He had 8 rebounds and 7 assists in his best performance with Golden State. Curry had 24 points and connected on 3 threes in nine attempts. The Warriors bench kicked in with 20. James Harden led Houston with 29.  Harden connected on 2 threes in 12 attempts. Chris Paul had 24. Eric Gordon pitched in with 17, and he made 3 threes for the Rockets. Capela had a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards. The Houston bench added 18.

The Warriors shot 49.4% from the floor. The made 12 threes, They were 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. They outrebounded Houston 44-31. The Rockets had 13 more free throws as Harden, and Chris Paul know how to draw fouls as they drive to the basket.

Up Next: The Warriors play the OKC Thunder Saturday night in OKC. Game time is at 5:30 pm. Game three of the four-game road trip will be in San Antonio Monday night, and they finish with a back-to-back set against the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night.

Headline Sports with London Marq: Improved Kings need wins in Philly and Boston

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photo from nbcsports.com file: The Sacramento Kings and D3’Aaron Fox head to Boston and Philadelphia for games Thursday and Friday nights.

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The Sacramento Kings dropped a tough game to the Washington Wizards 121-115. The Kings made it close losing by six.

#2 The Kings head to Philadelphia and Boston this Thursday and Friday. Can the Kings pick up some key wins after losing to Washington in their bid to try and make the postseason?

#3 De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring. Talk about what he means for the club this season.

#4 In MLS action, the San Jose Earthquakes are headed to New York to face the NY Red Bulls. The Quakes are coming off two losses to the Montreal Impact and the Minnesota United FC. The later game was rough as they lost in a 3-0 shutout.

#5 After watching the 3-0 shutout, was this reminiscent of last year’s Quakes team or maybe more concerning than last year’s team?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings drop first game on road trip; Head to Boston and Philly next

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Photo credit: bulletsforever.com

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (33-33) lost a very close game to the Washington Wizards (28-39) on Monday night 121-115. A six-point loss, the Kings lost the game but they are a never give up team.

#2 For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led with 23 points the team really relies on his ability to aim and hit the bucket.

#3 After last Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics, the Kings’ Marvin Bagley III has been ruled day to day. How bad was the sprained knee and do you see him returning to action on this current road trip?

#4 The Kings need to beat teams like the Wizards and the Celtics. Do you see them getting any daylight and getting a shot to get over the Mendoza line and get into the postseason?

#5 The Kings play back to back nights in Boston (41-26) and Philadelphia (42-25) on Thursday and Friday nights. How do you see the Kings stacking up with these two clubs?

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

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Injuries, players planning not to return, or just plain tired–what’s wrong with Golden State

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Photo credit: @warriors

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors have lost six out of their last ten games. It’s not in their DNA for the last five years to go on a run like that. Has this team finally reached it’s peak and heading downhill?

#2 Warriors head coach Steve Kerr can’t put a finger on it, but he’ll have fast as the Warriors have four big dates on the road, starting with Houston on Wednesday night. Will they recover?

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com